.333 (Repeating Of Course)

In baseball if you hit .333 you will get in the hall of fame, in basketball if you shoot 33% from downtown you will be rewarded with an 8 figure salary, and if you do anything at a 1/3 clip in the NFL then you will be out of a job.  In my case 33.33% is how far into my chemo treatment I am after yesterday's discharge from the hospital.  Although I still have 4 treatments (and 20 hospital days), it is really nice to have 2 notches on the old belt, and at this point I know I need to start preparing to make the next 4 go as smooth as possible.

As I mentioned on Sunday, the food was pretty brutal during this last admittance.  I actually thought about the smell of "patient dining" this afternoon while walking to get the mail, and I nearly got sick on the sidewalk.  Either way, it is clear now that I can no longer subside on these meals during my stays, so I am going to have to plan out an intricate mix of takeout for Dad to run out for.  We have Quizinos, Moe's, and Mellow Mushroom all within a mile of the hospital, so I think I might plan a mix of meals that will maximize taste and nutrition for the 5 days.  Any favorites from these respective menus that I should try? 

I was discharged yesterday around lunch, and I have been at home trying to rest up ever since.  Draining is the only word to describe these hospital stays, as it just chips away at you one day at a time.  Thankfully I am out though, and I'm looking forward to hopefully going into the office tomorrow and regaining some sense of normalcy.  I am still awaiting the "valley" that tags along with recovering from chemo, so as with the last time I am just taking it one day at a time, and doing as much with my days as I can depending on how I feel.

Later this week I have my first appointment with the radiologist as we begin to plan for the next stage in treatment after chemo.  I would imagine in my case radiation will begin sometime after the first of the year once I'm finished with chemo treatment.  I admittedly know very little about radiation, so I am hoping to get some information on Thursday that can help understand the process a bit better.  Either way, it is sort of nice to be planning for the 2nd stage of the treatment, it definitely beats discussing the side effects of chemo.

All in all, I'm still upbeat and feeling alright (relatively speaking).  I am entirely bald now, and actually that has brought some challenges I hadn't foreseen.  When they say that hair moderates body temperature they weren't kidding.  I continually find my bald head sweating to the point of sticking to the couch or pillow, so I've had to combat that with wearing some of my fashionable skull caps while I rest. How does Bruce Willis do it?

Thank you again everyone who has been checking in and praying for me during this trial, it means the world to me, please stay in touch!