Monday, April 26, 2010

Hidey Ho, There!

Let me reintroduce myself since it's been so long. My name is Jenster and I write this blog about nothing. Nice to be reconnected. So much for the old, "I'm going to write a post at least once a week", blabber. I knew I should have said once a month.

I have so much to write about. So much nothing, but so much nonetheless. I mean a lot of life-altering things, but I'm not going to go there today. Nope. I'm going to do what I do best. Whine! So grab the cheese and crackers and join me, won't you?

Let me give you a quick Jenster history since it's been so long. Five years ago I went through six months of chemotherapy for breast cancer. I had a minimum of side effects from the treatment, but my last three treatments were each delayed a week due to extremely low white blood counts. Those extremely low white blood counts gave me thrush every single time. I'd get a wicked case of the nasties, take oral medication along with a disgusting "swish and swallow" which would give me some relief, only to take another treatment and get another flare up. I never really got rid of the swelling before it would hit again. No big deal as far as side effects go, but icky.

Fast forward four-and-a-half years. I still get thrush. Or at least thrush-like symptoms. Swelling of the insides of my cheeks and lips and a swollen tongue with a lovely coating that reminds me of an old (and I mean old) Shelley Berman comedy routine about a hangover where his "tongue is hairy and his teeth itch".

Friday evening I noticed some funny looking bumps on the insides of my lips and cheeks. *sigh* I knew what was next. Sure enough, yesterday morning I woke up with the hairy tongue, but thankfully my teeth didn't itch. I told the family I wasn't going to church and proceeded to climb back into bed where I fell back into unconscious bliss and stayed there until 12:30 or so. The whole day, or what was left of it, was a big blob of absolutely nothing. Jammies all day long. Nice.

The homemade remedy for this current yuckiness? Swishing one part Maalox and one part Benadryl. Doesn't that sound appetizing? I have to be careful not to swallow it because the Benadryl puts me to sleep, though I'm definitely drinking that stuff down tonight so I can get a good night's sleep. Besides, it's now traveling down my throat. Lovely, isn't it??

On another, but similar note, I found out at my last oncology check-up that some of my bones have lost 13% density in the last two years. That does not make me happy. Not one little bit. So now I'm eating Viactin like it's candy (because that's what they want you to think) and I really, really need to start doing some strength training. Does sitting on the love seat and lifting my computer off of the floor and onto my lap count?

As "inconvenient" as these things are, though, I am richly blessed. In one week I will be celebrating my five year cancerversary - a milestone I've been looking forward to acknowledging. Some of my Mothers With Cancer have not been quite so blessed. There have been two new cases of mets in the last month or so and I just hurt for them. But these women are total rock stars! Not happy about it, of course, but their attitudes are stellar. Truly amazing.

When I think of these brave warriors I know I don't have anything to whine about. And yet... I do. 'Cause that's how I roll.

Labels: breast cancer

Mused by Jenster :: 3:28 PM :: 4 People musing:

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