F.U. 2 5FU

HELLO! I have learned something over the last six weeks. Feeling poorly does not inspire me to write. Most of the low points are now behind me. Friday was a big day. My chemo/pump that was tethered to me was removed. It was pumping the chemical 5FU into my bloodstream. The title to this post says it all for me. The radiation has been rough but I really think the chemo has been worse. I think I am over the nausea and other stomach turmoil. My hands and feet are beginning to heal and the top layers of skin are starting to peel so they look pretty nasty. Underneath the dead layers are new layers of skin that have feeling so that is good. I have my appetite back but not my sense of taste. I discovered that I can sense tastes and flavors in my brain so I will often get a craving for a particular food. I will make it or pick it up and then upon eating it has no taste and is a rapid disappointment. So I am currently eating bland food and dreaming about good food.

More good news is that this Tuesday is my last day of radiation. After 7 months I have no more planned treatments. I do not know what I will do with myself. Being sick and getting treated is all I have really known and focused on for about a year now. It seems like a long time ago. Cat and I will head to the mountains on Tuesday and then we will have to return on Friday. Saturday is the PanCan walk at Grant Park. All are welcome to join us and we will be in touch with all of you that signed up to walk to make meeting arrangements. Cat and I are making T Shirts for all the walkers. We have raised a little over $3700 and would love to hit $4000. If anyone feels the urge here is the link one more time http://pancan.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=284819.

My plan is to contact the Arizona Cancer Center next week to see if they will do DNA testing on my tumor (the hospital has frozen slides). They are good at locating markers that would indicate specific types of treatment. I also am researching to see if anyone has developed maintenance programs for pancreatic cancer. As is all cancers the "what you cannot see" is what needs to be treated.

After the PanCan walk we will be getting ready for my favorite time of year, Thanksgiving. It is definitely on and plans have been made. We should have a good crowd this year so don't forget to join us. We will serve dinner around 6 - 6:30 and entertain until the wee hours. If you plan on joining us for dinner just bring a vegetable side, a desert or a bottle of wine. We will be serving a smoked turkey and a traditional turkey this year. I will be modeling my Chemical Thursday wardrobe this year. This is a special Thanksgiving for me mainly because I am very grateful and thankful to just be present. I am also looking forward to thanking everyone for being so supportive and encouraging to both me and to Cathy. For those of you that usually show for the Friday night Alfredo's meal there finally is a change this year. We are breaking tradition and will be dining at Amalfi's this year. It is northern Italian in Roswell. Salvatore is the prorietor and Mama is the chef de cuisine. They are all prepared for us. Here is what Zagat's has to say about them. http://www.zagat.com/Verticals/PropertyDetails.aspx?VID=8&R=68317. We will have a private room for our group. I am really pumped.

I look forward to being a bit more regular with my posts and to seeing everyone over the holidays, Thanksgiving, Channukah and Xmas.