Thankful

​The month of November just flew past me this year. The good news is that I got the results of my brain MRI back. The large spots that we hit with radiation were significantly smaller and some of the micro spots had disappeared! Yahoo!!! Everything is working like it should.
 
November brought an increase in the dose of chemo I was receiving. The first increase from 70 to 75 percent went off without a hitch. I had no clue that it was increased and had to ask. I figured that if that increase went so well, the next one would be just as easy. Whoops… I was wrong. The last few days I have felt like I’ve been hit by a truck and my appetite is gone. It will subside in the next day or so and my doc will put my next dose back at 75 percent. Hopefully that will put an end to feeling like crap.
 
November also brought my final dose of steroids, but not before I got another case of thrush. Another round of antibiotics and I’m back in the clear. I do wonder if being on steroids is what made the chemo so tolerable. I guess we will find out this week after I do another dose.
 
November also took me to the emergency room again. The past few months I have been dealing with possible cellulitis on my left side that I have also been dealing with lymphedema. Apparently, it is a common side effect to lymphedema. I did a round of antibiotics back in October that we thought cleared things up. Would my body want to cooperate with my life plans, of course not. The week before Thanksgiving I started to show signs of the infection coming back, so back to the doc I went. I was given another round of meds hoping we caught it early and it wouldn’t change my plans for Thanksgiving week. The antibiotics kept the infection from spreading and I got to live my life according to plan. The minute I was done with the antibiotics my body decided to stop following the rules and the cellulitis came back with vengeance. The doc took one look at it and sent me off to the emergency room for some IV antibiotics. Note to everyone, do not go to the emergency room the Monday after Thanksgiving. It was a mad house. After a two hour wait, I was finally brought back to see a doc. Now this doc had his own idea of what was wrong and how to handle it all. He decided that I didn’t need IV meds, but that he would give me more pills to take “just in case it is an infection”. I was not happy with his decision, but also didn’t have the energy to argue with him. I took the pills and left, praying that they would work, and I wouldn’t end up back in the ER. The antibiotics wreaked havoc on my gut and gave me massive heartburn, but they worked. I really wanted to call the doc in the ER and tell him that I was right, but I didn’t. Now that the cellulitis is cleared my physical therapist can really work on reducing the swelling in my due to the lymphedema. I can’t wait for the day that my arms are the same size, and I don’t look like an amateur body builder on the left side.
 
The highlight of November was my sister and nephew coming for a visit from England the week of Thanksgiving. See, I told you I had big plans. We all only had a week together, but we had a blast during that time. I was so excited that I could keep up with everyone. Heck, I even tied for second place playing pee-wee golf. It was also nice just to be able to just sit and chat and have some old-fashioned family fun. Their time here was too short, but here’s hoping we will be able to meet up again soon.
 
I have another PET scan scheduled for later in December. I’m trying not to think too much about it, but it’s hard. I know that I have no control over the cancer, but my brain always seems to find a way to go to a dark place and think the worst. Here’s hoping that my most favorite time of year will keep me in my happy spot.