POP'N PILLS

Okay, this is my second week on heavy antibiotics to get rid of the infection in my liver, and seriously, these things are kicking my ass.  I didn't read the how-to manual as carefully as I should have -- you know, don't take it with this or don't take it with that -- and spent most of last week nauseous or in the bathroom with the runs or both (T.M.I.? I know).  Not fun.  Let's see, here's the play list...take one of them 1 time a day and the other one 3 times a day every 8 hours.  Then one of the pills you can’t take with dairy or milk and neither one can be taken with O.J. or the long list of other stuff mentioned.  Then of course, I have to coordinate them with my other meds, some that can’t be taken within two hours of anything else.  Really?  Sounds like a lot of math to me, which I’m bad at even on good days.  Anyways, next week I have another CT scan to see if the infection has cleared up and if so, radiology will get together with oncology and decide when to schedule me for the protocol. But dang, if I can't manage on the antibiotics, how the heck am I supposed to succeed on the Virginia Mason Protocol?  This warrior needs a plan. 

Here’s a good thing, my younger sister who lives in Seattle, has offered to take me in for the full 5 weeks during my next wave of treatment, and to be honest, I'd rather be tossing my cookies...and stuff, and looking real scary with family than subjecting my friends to my worst.  You see, although I can be very social, I’m very, very private.  If anyone can be both introvert and extrovert, that would be me. And, my sister has seen me ugly before and we still have to be sisters, but my friends…yeah, don’t have to be.  But, they have offered to be back-up in the event things get a little rough for me, and to give my sister a break. And in the meantime, they are also putting together a list of drivers to get me to and from my treatments.  My son, Tony, will have the honor of taking me on Wednesday's, which will be an all day affair.  Lucky him huh? I am so fortunate to have all these folks in my corner, for sure. 

On the protocol, I’ve been told that the people who end up in the hospital are those suffering from dehydration.  In the event this happens (and hopefully it won’t!), I get one week off in order for my body to recover, but that’s it, then I have to make it all the way to the finish line or nothing.  Keeping liquids down and eating will keep me out of the hospital.  Sounds so easy right? Not! The bad news is that most people are so physically depleted that getting up each day takes everything, and eating and drinking becomes a major chore because the body is under attack, trying to repair, and just not feeling well.  Yippy.  Sooo…I’m taking some light weights with me to make myself move, a lot of Gatorade for electrolytes, protein for shakes and prayer.  That’s all I got in my arsenal folks. 

I’m betting I will be physically jacked up for the Thanksgiving holiday and will not be partaking of the feast this year.  But the good news, and there is always good news, I will be done with the hard part of the journey for pancreatic cancer just in time to celebrate Christmas.  Yea! 

I wish you all the very best as you navigate through the emotional and physical of your own journeys.  Ciao baby!


If patience is worth anything, it must endure to the end of time. And a living faith will last in the midst of the blackest storm.

Mahatma Gandhi