Post Chemo round 2 update....Denise is ready to join EMC

It's Monday July 22nd and it's been a week since I posted.  Sorry for the delay for those of you following.  We'll do all the complaining up front here and then get back to the positives.  The weight is at 34lbs down and counting, BUT, the shakes are going in fast and helping slow the process.  The chemo really wiped out my energy level this past week.  I went home and saw the girls but even then I spent a lot of time resting which ticked me off but just seeing them and hanging out with them was great.  I'm now through week 4, or better yet, into week 5.  The last chemo is the still hanging out there and I can't say I'm looking forward to it but it is what it is so let's get to it...soon....!!

Everyone keeps asking how my girls and Denise are doing.  Well, Denise is with me 24X7 so I'll let you decide how she is doing ;)  Picture 24X7 with me just to start.  Now picture 24X7 with me going through this.  Yes, that's how she's doing.  It's awesome having her here to help.  All the little things just add up to so much every day.  Thanks Denise!

My girls have been lucky enough to stay with their dearest friends Michelle and Emily who are also sisters so they are together during all this and hanging with their second family.  Of course, it wouldn't be a family test without something happening to them as well.  Our youngest Colette got sick a week ago last Thursday night and started throwing up.  We weren't home, she was upset but never even told anyone that she was in a lot of pain in her throat and hear.  She ended up with an earache and this past Friday my wife called her sister to see if she could take her to the Dr..  Turns out severe ear infection so she had gone a whole week in pain but didn't complain because she is tough (I need to learn a little here).  Then today we get a call from the Dr. that says they did a strep test and yes, she has it....  Unbelievable.  She fought swimmers ear, strep, stomach bug (twice actually) and never complained until her text on Friday that said her ear really hurt.  She is a warrior!  Now to see if I get strep...oh boy would that be fun.  Having the girls with our friends taking care of them made even this easy to deal with because the girls are SO comfortable with them it's like their second home. 

Ok, that's the lay of the land for us.  Weight down, energy down, week 5 underway, getting there slowly but surely.  Staying positive during it all thanks to everyone!

Why is Denise ready now to join my friends at EMC.  Well, it was last Wednesday after chemo.  The chemo is tough as I said.  Wipes me out of energy.  The throat is hurting.  I'm resting a lot but never able to really sleep well so it just wears you out.  So I'm sitting up just trying to harness a little energy and not be lying down.  Doing a little work, typing some emails chatting with Denise.  I said, "Denise, so far the hair hasn't fallen out (what I have anyway), that's good huh?"  Denise looks at my face through the mirror on the desk, leans in and says "yeah, but you need to pluck your eyebrows".  Really??? 

I laughed hard for the first time in a while and said, "now there's a blog headline for you"!  We both laughed for a good couple minutes.  It felt GREAT!

I do see a lot of the same people every day and the one constant is everyone deals a little differently.  Most of the people have the feeding tubes and use them, but I have definitely been the person most reliant on the tube.  The others lost their taste but it didn't make most stuff taste bad, just blah.  I would kill for blah.  You know I'm a big guy, I didn't get that way not liking food.  It has really gotten tough because I can't go to eat with Denise any more as the smells/sight makes me sick now.  At least before I could sit with her for a while.  Hopefully that will come back around soon so I can at least keep her comfortable.

I say goodbye for now and thanks to everyone, and I mean everyone that has done so much to make this as easy as possible on my family, on me, and who have worked so hard to offer support to me and my family.  I can't imagine how people do this without the support that I have received from all of you.  Still a long way to go.  I'm being told by the Dr.'s that the month or two post treatment is very difficult as well.  Great.  Let's get there soon!!  Thanks everyone.

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