New Chemo, New Start

Yesterday was a long but totally bearable day at the hospital, thanks to my amazing oncology nurses, Marion and Roz (I've really missed them, even though we all agree we would love to not have to see each other at all, except perhaps socially!) And of course the time always passes more positively and peacefully when in good company, so I was happy to have my wadermummy there, and grateful for visits from familiar faces, especially a fellow mets-warrior, The Lovely Patricia.  So then. 

Here we are: I've started the new chemo combo and although I felt completely wiped out last night and my bones began to ache, this morning I felt better.The regimen of anti-nausea pills and steroids will help me through these first few days, and the steroids will no doubt result in my having the appetite and energy of a teenage boy, and possibly the temperament of a pro-wrestler (wait, is there any difference?)  Just for a few days, then hopefully I'll completely lose interest in arm-wrestling and pizza pops. Then I go back in again next Wednesday for another hit of gemcitabine, followed by a week off before the cycle begins again all over again in January. It feels like a new start, although not one that I would have wished for. I'm still up and down emotionally about it; usually okay, except when I have to really think or talk about it. The tears at this point are about on par with the laughter, and actually I think that's a totally acceptable place to be -- at all times, really, not just when you have a cancer crisis.* Anyway, enough already about me (uh, says the person who blogs about herself all the time?)  I wanted to add a quick update on George & Deborah Warkus' battle to get coverage for the drugs Deborah needs to fight HER-2 mets.

I blogged about them recently, and below is an article in today's globe about their continued struggle: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/fighting-cancer-in-a-bureaucratic-catch-22/article1404843/ *Having said that, the comments that you've posted and the e-mails from friends and family are helping me like crazy, so pleeeeease keep 'em coming!