Priorities

While each week, I look forward to seeing the results of the blood tests, they also can be challenging.

When my platelets are low, the research manager prescribes beet juice, papaya and papaya leaf extract.

When my red blood cells are low; red meat, chicken livers,  and other things come to the fore.

Billirubins are high? Back to the Cholestyramine.

You get the picture.

At times, I get tired of dealing with these issues, bearing in mind that meanwhile the cancer fight continues with the full array of supplements and vitamins.

This week, the platelets improved slightly, but the white blood cells and ANC dropped significantly. We have to keep the immune system up. Lypo-spheric vitamin C and Chaga Mushroom tea are the order of the day.. I have been taking Chaga every day since the beginning of this journey and have not had a cold, notwithstanding that I meet with hundreds of people each week.

Over the weekend, my hand/foot syndrome was at its worst. It hurt to do many things. However, a few days without Xeloda and generous applications of cream have things improving slowly. It did prompt me to go and buy a comfortable shoe (actually two shoes) to wear, in place of the running shoes that I have worn every day since Labor Day.

I love getting mail each day. The other day the post lady was still putting mail in the boxes when I came home and I was told that I needed to wait until she was finished because she did not know who I was. I told her that I knew who I was and as I got on the elevator, it registered and she said that she was glad that I knew who I was. She must be thinking about the Silver Alerts we get each day in Florida. It seems there are a lot of old forgetful guys.

Talking about dealing with issues, my weight has crept up a little. And I may have found a good solution. The headline on page 57 of a recent Time magazine was "Eating dessert can help with your diet." I have yet to hear the research manager endorse that however!