Day FIVE - Complete!!
(Cycle one, under my somewhat bloated belt!)

Well, it's complete - the first cycle is done - in five days flat I have gained over 10 pounds in extra fluid retention - I feel like Eddie Murphy wearing the Nutty Professor fat suit... my legs are quite swollen, up to my middle, my face a little.. just uncomfortable, is all... They say once the steroids begin to leave my system in the next two/three days it will subside... can't WAIT!

I have attached an actual (although crappy cellphone) photo of me in my comfy chair at the Nevada Cancer Institute so you can see where I've been spending my 5 some-odd hours a day the past week.

I have to admit that, while positive and doing ok, today's treatment took me to the edge of being 'over it'... 5 days straight, five hours or so everyday, the discomfort, and now the bloating (and nasty attitude that comes with steroidal 'rage' as it can be described) is a bit much, and to be honest, my treatment is one of the most figured out and regulated of most, and yet if I was a weaker person, could see how someone could be highly annoyed and irrational in facing it.

Luckily THAT'S not me. I am positive and a fighter, and will get through it, because I have strong family and friends, and people who care for me. And THAT is the most important thing of all. SO WHAT, the weekend will suck as I come down off the drugs, they flush my system and I 'crash' to fatigue... at least I'll finally sleep again on my own ... that might be the part I miss the most, well besides the part they took out during the surgery - and I'm kind of getting used to that not being there anymore...

Sammy went to Grandma Cheryl and Pop-Pop's house for the weekend so I can chill out and rest... I miss him terribly, but it's the best thing for all of us... Trish needs the rest too, and Sammy needs to get away from the stress for a bit too... So it hopefully will be a calming, restful recovery weekend for us all...

On an amusing side-note for all of those who know NOTHING about this... we had gotten a puppy for Sam, whom he named George... a pure-bred white Boxer... gorgeous, and a really good boy.. unfortunately, as all of this craziness has come down, we (WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY) had to decide to not keep him... very saddening, because of how awesome he really is... but it's JUST NOT THE RIGHT TIME . So, we got Sammy a new pet (Drum-rolls please.....) Remy the Rat! A domesticated Dumbo Rat, whom he named himself (Remy is the star mouse in Disney/Pixar's new movie - Ratatouille). He loves him, and today was show-and-tell at school, so guess who accompanied Sam to school today? You guessed it - The RAT. He was a big hit, although had MAJOR competition from Penn Jillette (Of Penn and Teller fame - his daughter goes to Sam's school too... ) who juggled for all the kids... FUN DAY, so we heard!

Trish took off mid-day from being bored with me to get her nails done... and got back almost as we finished... So then we wrapped up, and hit our favorite diner to eat lunch.

Got home, BUSHED, and just sat on the couch for a bit, vegging out... Cheryl and Dan (My mother and father-in-law) came over to hang out and visit a bit, before going to pick up Sammy from school... I kept going in and out of noddy-land... so I could tell it was really starting to affect me. After they left, we rested a bit more, then Trish made dinner, we ate and came upstairs.

My bloating is really bad, so I am typing this from my desk, then heading into the bedroom with the laptop for a while to put my legs up to alleviate the swelling. Hey, it's the price you pay to get better

I will update over the weekend as well, and have blood work on Tuesday, and then meet with my Doctor on Wednesday to go over the first round and see where the tumor markers sit, reduction-wise, etc. Hopefully (I KNOW we will!) we'll get some good news, that it is starting to work, and we're kicking this thing's ASS!

16 days off - starting NOW - hooray! Time to get back into the groove as soon as my weekend from hell of recovery is over.... the clock is ticking..

Thanks for reading... keep checking back - more good to come!

Pittle - OUT!