Reasons To Be Cheerful, Parts 7-10

I've been struggling to write the next journal entry during this round of chemo. I'm not exactly sure why, but I suspect that it might be because nothing out of the ordinary happened during this round. That's not to say it was easy; there was still the truly hellish week when the side-effects are at their worst, there was still the long slow climb out of that and back to something that felt more human. 

It's just that, with slight differences in severity and duration, this round was very much like the three that came before it. In fact, this round kind of felt like a textbook example of what I've now come to see as the average round of chemo for me. Every time I sat down to write a journal entry, it felt like I was going to be repeating myself. 

 

However, right around two weeks in, Day 13 to be exact, I felt well enough to spend an afternoon using some energy for something more than basic housebound functions for a change. In fact, I felt a strong need to test what's left of my stamina. The weather was great, so my wife and I made a plan to visit a number of the Rock County Parks (located in southern Wisconsin) that we had yet to visit. 

The visits would not be like they used to be, where we'd walk the trails in places like that for a couple miles. Sadly, between chemotherapy and testosterone lowering/blocking drugs, I doubt I could hike for more than 3/4 mile (total) at one time before feeling wiped out. Very different from how I felt last year at this time.

We visited three new-to-us parks up there. We briefly walked some of the trails at the first two, maybe even more than 3/4 mile in total! (I was able to rest between parks because my wife drove.) I was getting pretty tired by the time we left the second one. Luckily, the main attraction at the third park was a nice, quiet lake, so we found ourselves a bench and contemplated the universe for a while. 

It was almost indescribably nice to get back out into nature after a couple weeks of chemo hell spent mostly on the couch.

 

Later that week, our daughter visited us. Not only did she help us out with some larger-scale cleaning jobs around the house, but we had a lot of fun too! She's my bonfire buddy, so we did some creative campfire cooking one evening. A couple days later, the three of us visited one of our favorite Forest Preserves in this area, partially as an excuse for my daughter and I to do some creek walking. Such wonderful, memory-making times! 

I've said before that I wouldn't wish chemotherapy on anyone, and that's still true. Describing it as "hellish" is not just hyperbole. I just find that what inspired me to finally write another entry after 20 days are the good times I've managed to have with my family when I'm not at my worst. Gotta keep the positive in mind, especially when it's harder to see in the grand scheme of things.

 

For reference:  Reasons To Be Cheerful, Parts 1-6

The Poisoning, Part IV

Yesterday (Monday, August 5) we met with our palliative care specialist and then had bloodwork done at the Beloit / UW Cancer Center. The bloodwork must have looked like my body had repaired itself from the last chemotherapy - at least enough to be able to poison me again - because we're on to Round 4 (of 6).

Today we returned to the Cancer Center for my next chemo infusion. As with the previous three, the infusion itself usually goes without a hitch. However, 24-48 hours later, it kicks in fully and my body reacts. I think the first infusion was followed by a 48-hour "wait" time, whereas that shortened to about 36 hours during my second round, then about 24 hours during the third. Who knows? Maybe it will kick in after only 12 hours after my fourth infusion!

Not that it means anything, but I'm about 10 hours out from my latest infusion as I type this. I hope it waits until morning to kick in.

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦ ✧

Speaking of things that kick in, we also made our first visit to Sunnyside dispensary this afternoon, after all the other appointments. We were able to talk to a "Wellness Advisor" (helpful, but not extremely so) and dial in a few products that should help with sleep and pain in particular. The best part about the trip, really, was that we now know how the whole dispensary procedure works.

I have been "dosing" with hemp-derived gummies from a local smoke shop in the village near our home. I enjoy them and will continue to get more. Last year, well before I got sick, I was vaping some of those same hemp-derived products. I ended up with a fairly persistent cough at the start of this year, though, and I suspect that it may have been the vaping. My primary care doctor, who certified me for my medical marijuana card request, doesn't agree with me on that. Also, the product we've been buying there supposedly has really high testing standards. I might try vaping again, but I'll do so cautiously.

For anyone who doesn't use these things, hemp-derived is typically less potent than marijuana-derived, meaning that dispensary-grade THC and other cannabinoids give you more bang for the buck. Also, vaping (and smoking) is a faster acting delivery system than edibles. Vaping (and smoking) starts reacting and dispersing the moment it hits your lungs. Edibles have to get through your system to your body's filtering organs before they disperse. I like the faster reaction time of vaping (or smoking) but I sure didn't like that persistent cough. I had it for months after quitting vaping the first time!

Why do I need a medical marijuana card if I've been getting perfectly good, hemp-based cannabinoids from a smoke shop that's five minutes from home? The potency difference is one thing. There's also a special Medical line at the dispensary and it's a much shorter line! We paid very little in tax for what we bought, too. So, yeah, some distinct advantages. 

One last thing. I'm starting to make private "Ride Notes" for the various cannabis products I've been using. Yes, as nerdy as it sounds, I'm taking brief notes on the efficacy of the gummies and such. I have always wished that I did something like that with all the hundreds of different single malt Scotch whiskies I've tasted over the last few decades, but I never started, thinking I'll simply remember how I felt about what I drank.