It's A Chemo Christmas!

This new chemo regimen is a different experience. With the last one I managed to avoid a lot of the side-effects, only getting the really odd and unusual ones. They weren't pleasant. But there wasn't a plethora either.

I seem to have hit the side-effect jack-pot this time with almost every little medicinal quirk creeping it's way into our lives over the last week. With the thankful exception of Hand-and-foot Syndrome, which I'm very thankful to avoid.

Treatment this time around mainly includes three drugs. The first I'll get by IV every three weeks with about four or five hours in treatment, the second I'll receive by IV every two weeks with a little less time in the chair and the third is Xeloda, which I take orally (1500mgs twice a day) for two weeks straight, a week off, then repeat.

I've started developing chemo-brain again quickly and had my first chemo-related panic attack last night. Kristin's learned to just wait it out when I panic. It's a lot less frustrating for her than to try to fix something that isn't really there.

So we're back on the ride again. Apparently I'm tall enough for the ride and Kristin was able to sneak by the operator. (That's a short joke. She's not short but I like to pretend she is. I'm weird.) Life is as normal as it can be. Kristin is over-worked, between taking care of me and being a puppy-wrangler, but still manages to keep smiling and be the most amazing wife ever. We, mostly Kristin, decorated for Christmas this week. It's most likely my last one. Rather than trying to make it the most amazing Christmas ever, we're just trying to enjoy Christmas. If it's going to be my last I just want it to be Christmas. Rather than trying to achieve something amazing we'll just enjoy and love each other... and that will be truly wonderful.

Don't forget the Springfield Christmas Parade on December 5th! The oldest and coldest parade in Oregon!

Here's a little, hacked together with photoshop,
panoramic pic of our living room decorated for Christmas!
My beautiful wife did a beautiful job!