Long Week

Pardon the delay... Would have posted something earlier, except that a lot's been going on this week. First off, I started the new chemo cycle with irinotecan and temozolomide. They have been easier on me than the cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine combination of the last three cycles, but they've still done a number on me. I still get nausea, though not to the same degree as before. I can eat meals of almost normal size, though I will feel some queasiness afterwards. When I'm done for the day, fatigue soon sets in, and I find myself spending a lot of time in bed. A full night's sleep helps a lot, but then I get more drugs and it's back to fatigue once again. Hopefully, the weekend gives me a breather. No diarrhea so far, so that's good news, though I've been told that if it happens, it's usually during the second week.

The routine has been like this: except for Monday, when I went in the afternoon, I show up at the hospital in the morning, where I get checked quickly by a member of the sarcoma team and then get hooked up to an IV. I don't get a bed because I'm not there for long; I find a seat, and open up my laptop to keep busy. Before I get any chemo, I get a couple of anti-nausea medicines through the IV. Then, the nurse comes by with the irinotecan and temozolomide. The temozolomide is given as pills, which I take first. Then the irinotecan is hooked up to the IV, where it is given over an hour. Once it's over, I'm done, just in time for lunch.

There's been no rest for the weary, though. The last three afternoons, I've had other things to do besides rest. I had physical therapy on Wednesday and today to further strengthen my legs in preparation for full-time walking with a prosthesis. On Thursday, I got a new prosthesis, ahead of schedule. It's actually semi-temporary rather than temporary. The top part (the socket) will go through more iterations. The bottom part has a flexible foot assembly that's supposed to last me a while and even enable me to go running when I build up the strength for it. I look forward to going running again one day, that's for sure, but first, I'll have a lot of walking to do. Here's a picture of me holding the new leg:

Hopefully, the weekend does bring me some rest because I desperately need it. Along with the fatigue, my brain has turned into mush each evening, making me feel like a zombie. Yesterday morning, I specifically remember waking up and thinking, "Wow, my brain is working again! What exactly was I doing yesterday afternoon?" It's not that I didn't know what I was doing; I remember specifically the events of the day, but I was to some degree going through the motions, with a lot of my ability to concentrate completely gone. Thankfully, it's recovered each morning with sleep. So here's hoping some sleep without having to worry about chemo gives me at least one full day with a fully functional brain!