The Chemo Cowboy

well, yesterday, I did the first of the two bloodwork episodes for round 7 of my chemo.
This chemo next week is 7 of 8.

And, I know we are all in agreement that this round of chemo will be the beginning and the end of my cancer treatment, the alpha and the omega… the ‘let’s not wear out our welcome here at the BCCA’.
Anyway, the folks at the BCCA send me the paperwork that I have to take to the lab for the bloodwork. In the envelope I found the paperwork for yesterday’s appt and also for one for the 8th round.
It was such a relief to look at that and realize that it stands as the last of its kind in the series.
And with any luck, I will have smashed all the cancer to bits and it will be too scared to come back.
That’s my hope.

On other fronts, I am really worn down.
I think the chemo is really starting to take its toll on my body and not just the weight gain and the lack of hair.
The gal at the lab had a hard time finding my vein, I could tell.
Now, if you know me fairly well, you’ll know I am a bit of a sissy when it comes to blood being extracted from my arm, or any big ass needle going in my arm.
I look away and I get really tense.
So, there I am, looking away and being really tense, and my g-f is holding my hand on the non-pokey side… and it’s taking quite awhile.
And the scene in the waiting room had been completely overwhelming, with babies screaching and people spitting up their lungs and such, so I was already a little tense.
And, I could tell she was having some trouble finding the vein.
And that’s new.
I have never had that problem before, and I do have 2 more rounds of chemo to do, plus all the accompanying bloodwork.
So, I don’t know what will happen next.

I have a feeling I will end up getting some sort of shot or new pill to supplement my blood counts, because I have been so run down this time.

I am finding it hard to keep up with people when I go out for a walk lately. And that’s pretty strange. I just do my little walking thing and I chat with whoever I am walking with, and all of a sudden I wonder why they are going so very very fast. And then I realize it’s me who is going slow. That’s pretty weird because I really like walking and all of a sudden I am having trouble holding my own on a walk.
It’s weird.
And, I suspect it will continue to get bad for a couple more months and then it will start to improve around December 1.
And then hopefully I can start going to the gym again and get things back on track.

The other thing that happened yesterday is, a package arrived that contained 2 cowboy hats.
I am not really sure where it came from, or who it came from.
That may be because it’s a secret or it may be because someone had a conversation with me and I forgot about it because of the chemo drugs (yeah, they really do wipe whole conversations from my memory).
Anyway, I have a new cowboy hat and Elaine, who was very enthusiastic about the package, also has a new cowboy hat.
From the Coor’s rodeo, no less.
And 2 Coor’s belt buckles.
Holy screaming homosexual!
Good one, that’s all I can say.

Anyway, that’s me.

It’s another beautiful day here in Vancouver and I think I will try to wash the scuzz off my truck, because I can.