Post Thanksgiving

Hey guys,
Having another very tough week.
We hosted Thanksgiving for the whole Hill clan. I think we had 16 total for dinner, and then did bed and breakfast service for 8 Thanksgiving night.
For some reason Cindy wanted to undertake this event of her own free will. It was totally her idea and she did all the cooking on this side of it. I did the meatballs, and a tray of great various cheeses (gouda, edam, colby jack, sharp cheddar), crackers, pickles, olives, miscellaneous veggies, and so on with help from my niece Jamie, and her friend Jessie. They were a great help Thursday morning. After they did the appetizers for me they both did souz chef duty for Cindy the rest of the morning.
I was able to talk her into allowing some people to bring a dish or two.
Tondi did her famous pies, and a special goo pie for me which is a pecan pie without pecans. I don’t like pecans but love the goo in a pecan pie.
Wendi brought her resurrected green bean, potato, and dumpling recipe from my grandmother who never wrote down anything, so it took her over a year to get it right.
Tammy brought a cranberry and apple dish that was delicious.
Alyce brought a cranberry jello dessert.
Stella brought some festive green rice krispy treats.
Cindy did about 12 to 15 dishes in total I cant keep up, including two desserts of her own.
Jeff deep fried the Turkeys in the backyard. They turned out great. Very little leftovers even after doing 2, 12 lb Turkeys.
That was a great help as there was no way we had any room in the oven to do the turkeys, with Cindy’s avalanche of other dishes. The oven was full top to bottom all morning until meal time.
Anyway all the hub-bub and days of cleaning the house before hand really wore me out. I was pretty much useless come Thanksgiving day and was couch ridden most of the time, and then the next day as well.
We did a cookie decorating party on Friday for all who were able to stick around that long. It was great fun but I wanted to be more involved in it. I only joined in to do about 5 cookies, but all the ones everyone did, were really cool.
The next few days I was really exhausted and have to this day, 7 days later, still not really recovered.
Larry and Alyce, and Tondi stayed until Sunday morning. Then on Monday noon Cindy’s parents Larry (yes Cindy’s father’s name is Larry as well as my father) and Ellen arrived for their visit. Ellen only was able to stay one night, but Larry stayed until Thursday Dec. 4th.
I had a pretty crappy birthday on the first, turned 37 I think. Felt like a steaming pile of crap physically. Got some nice gifts from the family, but nada from my loving wife. It is ok, all I want is to spend time with her and feel good. There is nothing she could give me that would compare to 5 healthy happy mins of time together. But you cannot buy that or put it in wrapping paper.
The last two days have been really bad, I have been unable to get off the couch for more than a few mins at a time, and then with quite a dose of pain while I am up.
Larry Stanton, Cindy’s Larry, was here to help me at least, and kept me in cold drinks, and snacks. My apatite has been non-existent for several days now. I ate 4 inches of a sub today for lunch and that was the biggest meal I have had since Thanksgiving.
Mostly the thought of food has been making me nauseous again lately. Despite my taking a medication specifically to stimulate eating. But no such luck. Also my stomach has been retaining an unusually large percentage of fluid again this week. We have already done 8 liters and I am about to pop now, and I am counting the moments until Friday’s drain. Will probably have to spend the night sitting upright, which means no good sleep if there is any at all.
None of these symptoms should be exhibiting themselves at this time. It has been 7 weeks since the last Chemo treatment and I should be running track and field events now. But I feel about the weakest I have felt in months. My hands shake almost constantly from any effort whatsoever. I have to really take my time standing up and then it is incredibly shaky. Seems like an upcoming fall is inevitable.
I have my company’s Christmas party on Saturday night and have to give a half hour speech and give out about 8 awards. But that may turn out to be a 5 mins speech. After that I will finally get a day off, with no visitors, and no work, and not even a visit to MUSC, this coming Sunday.
We had a great visit with everyone who came and love spending time with them, but it is very tiring to even just have people in the house at all.
But that is what I would want to expend my energy on more than anything else, is spending time with my family. That is what we did, so I am happy.
Then Chemo starts on Monday morning, which will put me on my ass for the next two weeks. I am really concerned about my apatite and very low weight and weakness at this point going into a Chemo session. All it is going to do is dose me with poison and make me even weaker and sicker. Do not know if I can stand that. But what else can I do, if I let the tumors go without chemo they spread and grow like wildfire.
But man, my legs look like something from Auschwitz historical photos. No kidding. They have the big bulging kneecap and just skin covering bone above and below the knee. I can almost wrap my hand around my leg above the knee and touch the thumb and middle fingers together. It looks like the legs could not possibly support the weight of my body.
My dad, Larry is coming down to help me through the chemo week on Monday night and will take me to the rest of the weeks sessions.
We will see what the future brings, I guess. Pretty apprehensive about this upcoming session. If I get any weaker I guess I will be completely dependant on outside help to do literally everything. Good thing Dad is coming. I am sure I will need his assistance.
The week after Chemo is just as bad or worse as the system gets saturated and absorbs all the poison. Oh, and then the other great surprise of what is going to be this months new symptom. Could be anything as you well know by now.
So if you do not hear from me in personal communication for the next while, that is what is up. I am sure I will not feel like writing anything. I really don’t want to write now, but felt like the blog was well overdue for another update. And all of you are so kind to keep checking in on my blog page. I hate to not update it, and you go away without any new information.
Please wish me luck and give me a prayer, considering what storm is heading my way.
Love to all,
Yours nervously, Greg