Even Keel

Rancho Timberlane Farm is now free of moldy, stinky carpeting. The last bedroom was completed yesterday. The place is still in shambles but a whirlwind of family activity has filled a 20 yard dumpster and now the smell of paint hangs in the air. The basement is also cleared. Too many helpers to thank.
On the health side, my energy is returning and stays on an even keel as long as I graze. If I go too long without a morsel, I hear, "Are you OK, you look yellow/white?" Sleeping several hours at a time during the night which may be the result of the completing my first dose of Prednisone. I was tasked with consuming 100mg daily. After chemo #1, I took a dose in the evening and followed that regiment for 5 days. Unfortunately, that may have been a bad decision so if you are seeking lymphemo tips, take Prednisone early in the day.
We took a quick break last night to see a movie. Typically, we decide based on showtime convenience and we landed in an 8pm showing of "...Benjamin Button". It was a curious yarn with a narrative conducted in a hospital room by the daughter of a woman who lays dying from CANCER. Sense of humor, don't fail me now.
"You never know what's comin' for ya"

Feeling Logy

Many people have asked me how I am feeling. This question comes from a position of concern and curiosity. Although I have heard from those that have been through lymphoma chemo (lymphemo) and we compared notes so far, the first striking thing that you learn is that it is a very personal journey. There are very few established norms, namely the hair loss, but some people don't lose it all. The effects you may have heard about appear to be resolved by modern chemo techniques but the medical staff goes to great lengths to make sure you understand EVERYTHING that could possibly go down. I may amend this observation down the line but so many anecdotes online support the notion of lymphemo as a nuisance. Despite the hours of introducing cancer killing medication into my system, when friends ask, "How are you doing?", I want to say, "I'm feeling logy" I'm just a little off. Cautious eating, lots of water, quick catnaps have all added up to a strange fogginess that I hope to stave off with daily walks as opposed to a run up to the corner store for a low-carb Monster.
I'm also working hard to accept help from family and friends. Laurie and her mother have orchestrated a Ty Penningtonesque descent on the Timberlane Farm ranch house. I hope to see the progress today but we all felt it best for me to seek refuge from particulate matter at my parent's home while the old carpet is removed. A fresh coat of white paint will grace the bedroom giving it a rest from the infamous lemon/maroon scheme. I owe much to everyone already for the gifts of time and concern...I'm less than a week into my 18 week journey.

P is for Prednisone and Presents

For those keeping track, I almost forgot the P. I have to take these with juice because the pill dissolves almost immediately at the back of my tongue and my first dose was the consummate "bitter pill". Christmas was great. My folks visited in the late morning for excellent strata that Laurie worked on long after I crashed Xmas Eve. The kids are excited about their newfangled gadgets and I rec'd 8 hats in anticipation of my chrome dome. Ironically, some people don't lose all their hair but something tells me I will be a little disappointed if I don't; gotta be the whole ride, right? I ran out of gas late in the evening after a classic turkey and mashed potatoes dinner with Laur's family. I'm not sure if food just tastes better or Laurie's Dad performed a Christmas miracle because the turkey was amazing. Laurie's brother and nephew were able to make it from Portland, OR despite a "no show" flight attendant so the evening rang out with the peals of joyous children and a spot on acapella rendition of Devo's "Whip It" by master Oliver on his High School Musical 3 wireless FM microphone.

The Miller clan has plans to attack the master bedroom floor today and dispose of the carpet in favor of a surface less likely to collect indoor pollutants. The dumpster arrives this morning.

Feeling Radiant

It's Christmas Eve, the day after Chemo #1, and I feel warm to my own touch, like I'm a little sunburned, but do not have a fever..strange sensation. Had trouble sleeping but I have never been one to fret about getting my beauty sleep. I tend to feel more productive with less sleep on occasion. Still drinking tons of water to flush out the toxins but otherwise I feel pretty good. I have been receiving advice to make sure that I visualize the meds attacking the cancer cells and after my annual viewing of the "Wizard of Oz", I can't keep the Alphaba melting scene out of my head. "You cursed brat! Look what you've done" All this water is certainly having an affect on the "wicked witch" cancer cells; no, my cancer cells are not feminine it just seems to work best for the analogy.