Well, another chemo session done with - if one didn't feel so crappy afterwards, one could almost get used to it. Couple of new developments since the last treatment.
I had my head shaved last week, cause my hair was shedding worse than Jody's dog Kellie (meaning, I just shook my head and fur was flying everywhere). It's taken some getting used to and not quite sure I'm there yet. Thanks to Krista and Jody, I have some nice head coverings to keep me warm and cozy. There are advantages to being bald, particularly, all the money you save on hair products and stylist visits. Mind you, I'm using more face products cause I haven't quite figured out where my forehead ends anymore!
The second development is that the stem cell transplant is back on the table. This time we're not going to wait til chemo treatments are done and are looking at after treatment 4 or 5. They did find an outside donor for me (my brother was not a close enough match so now he thinks he's adopted!) Imagine though, a complete stranger is more closely aligned to me genetically than a family member - we really are all truly connected. At any rate we have to take this one step at a time as there are a lot of "if's" that have to line up before we can proceed, namely:
if the donor is still willing and able to donate their stem cells,
if they're available when we're ready,
if they're still reasonably healthy,
if this chemo I'm now going through shows some sign of progression, and
if I'm reasonably healthy and can withstand the surgery.
For now, the proposed target date for the surgery is towards the end of May and we'll work down the "if" list.
Oh, and I tried cannabis edibles for the first time - a gift from my cousin. Results were a little mixed, but definitely did help with the nausea so a worthwhile experiment. I don't think I'm going to become a regular user, though, as I did find it made me loopier than normal, not a feeling I'm comfortable with.
Surprisingly, we still have a bit of snow here on the ground. Like the rest of the country, temperatures have not warmed up enough to melt everything, but we're turning a corner.
Next round of treatment is scheduled for March 28, after which we'll be doing a CT scan to check on progress. Trust that you are all well and much thanks for your continued support.