Win Some, Win Some

October 25, 2007

Not to interrupt the eschaton (at least, for those in Southern California–everyone all right out there? I think I’ve accounted for all possible trouble, but please if you are near a fire area, confirm your all rightness) or anything, O Best Beloveds, but the latest blood results are back.

Last month, with the Lab of Unreliability–99
This month, with Lab of Trustworthiness–48

And so, after too many long weeks, an exhale. Phew.

Also, one notes that the tantalizing numbers of full remission–32, or 39, depending on who is counting–seem, oh, so close. It’s hard to say if I’m zooming down there or creeping down, thanks to last month’s unhappy discursion, but the direction is right regardless.

With that, Dr. W. has decreed I can reduce the Xeloda dose by one large pill; just reducing one small pill did make a small difference in the latest crop of ick, though you wouldn’t know it from my scaly hands, so I have great hopes for this greater reduction. I keep thinking things like “Oh, I’m so OVER this,” the scales, the peeling, the neuropathy, the tingling, the stinging, the blisters, the desiccated dry hands, the tiresome toes, but I can’t be over it, because the trade off is no chemo–not an option–or a different chemo that might make merry with my hair or figure, and lord, I may have to wear gloves all the time, but at least the rest of me passes for normal and feels completely so. And even gloves look normal if it’s winter. Or 1947. Okay, I’m getting a little tired and muzzy headed, but how is that really all that different from normal for me? It just means I punctuate my regular naps with periods of heavy snoozing. Plus, thanks to Perfect Linda, I have some swell new skin balms designed just for Hand/Foot Syndrome and other chemo related side effects–who knew? But it’s called Lindi and you can look at it at www.lindiskin.com. It’s not perfect, but it helps better than Bag Balm, Egyptian Magic Cream, and any of the other thick unguents and emollients I’ve smeared on my extremities of late. At some point, I will talk to Dr. W. about other options because I really really do need to use my feet when we go to Egypt (where there might be real local magic cream!) and I’m hoping he can give me a break for a couple of weeks before to restore various bits and bobs so that I might get maximum use out of them.

Meanwhile, in other felicitous news, that book of mine was just voted Best Teenage Novel in a competition for self-published books, the DIY Book Festival. I have no idea what this means apart from bragging rights–upon reflection, I would prefer a medal, as they are shiny and can be worn–since I didn’t go to the awards banquet, figuring I wouldn’t win. You can buy that very now Award Winning Novel on Lulu.com.

And next Thursday, we leave to make merry down south at a pig roast and the Basile Swine Festival, and you know how giddy that makes us. Nothing like celebrating good health with fat fried in fat, dusted with salt. Look for more reports on pig trotters and my chemo-reduced trotters upon our return.

Feet don’t fail me now,