Fake Names

Well, here I am the day after chemo. The major issue is that I do not feel like eating and I am also tired.

I had dry mouth last night and can see it getting worse tonight. I will take some precautionary medicine, like Biotene.

I am hoping that I will be back in the swing by Friday, but to be realistic, it may be Saturday.

This morning, I had a major coughing spell that approached throwing up. I think it was caused by nasal drip and have purchased more Claritin. The research manager declared "It's not in the stomach." Apparently she meant "It's snot in the stomach."

I have one more chemo in two weeks and then a petscan the following week. At that point, there are two alternate approaches for maintenance. One is effectively the same routine as I am doing now with the most damaging drug dropped. That would mean a four hour visit every two weeks and the pump. The other is pills. A possible side effect is what they call hand and foot disease, which is lesions on your hands and feet. There is about a 16% chance of this happening .I am leaning to the pills. I think it gives me the best lifestyle choice.

I inquired about immunotherapy and was advised that while it is a possibility down the road, it is not for now. At some point, they would do a test on my tumor. When I pointed out that the tumor was gone, I was advised that samplings from the tumor are kept for the future. So, there is actually a museum of tumors. I asked if we could make the museum public and could I get a royalty on entrance fees. Apparently not.

I do need your help on one issue. When I sign in at the cancer center, I usually use a fake name. Things like Mike Rofone, Ann O. Rexic and Sally Forth. I am running out of ideas. Any suggestions that I could use would be appreciated. I need two each week. Thanks.