Just Keep Stepping...

 So, to update. The healing from my wisdom teeth extraction is going well. I am now able to manage with just Tylenol and usually just at the end of the day.  They moved back my start date for Chemo/radiation to this coming Monday the 21st to allow my gums to heal a bit more. I am grateful for the small breather window in appointments thought the extra time on my hands has been a challenge. 

I also went to my Chemo education class this past Monday. That was not at all what I expected and I kinda want to submit a comment card to suggest some reworking of how it is all approached. Then I think, yea I probably don't want to label myself as "that" patient ahead of my first chemo days lol  

So instead, I am just going to whine about it here for a few lol 

The name, "Chemo Education Class" caused me to think in my head that it was going to be maybe held in a conference room. I envisioned getting a little booklet of information and having a small group of newly diagnosed patients beginning a similar journey along with their plus one caregiver in the room. I imagined a very nice nurse educator who would go through the science behind chemo, tell us what to expect on our first infusion, explain to us all the side effects, but also have a list some possible things to do to alleviate or combat most of them. I imagined a Q and A portion at the end and came with a small list of questions that to me ae vital to know but probably have been asked a million other times. Maybe there even would have been a small visit from the cancer center's gift shop representative to go over the supportive things they sell: wigs, scarves, nausea mints, etc. Perhaps someone from the snack/lunch bar to go over what snacks we can purchase to be delivered to our infusion chair...maybe even a menu to keep with us. 

However, when I got there and they called me and Paul back it was just to an exam room. They did my vitals and then a few minutes later the Physician's assistant came in with a packet. It went over the potential short- and long-term side effects from each of the two chemo drugs I would be getting. She went over the precautions I and my caregivers needed to take while I was receiving care and the side effects that I needed to go straight to the ER or call their office for during the weekdays. She was polite and kind and did try her best to answer my questions. It was just truthfully a lot of statistics and reminded me of those awful medication commercials that list all the wacky side effects: Swollen tongue, kidney failure, death! But wooohooo, you won't have insomnia anymore, buy our product today. After she was done, she had me sign my informed consent paperwork saying I understood all that was spoken to me and I agreed to the treatment plan they had laid out and discussed. Then I went home. 

*Deep breath* 

Home with my thoughts and the knowledge that there are really no easy roads on this journey. Monday night was mentally rough. It made me feel better to know some were fasting and praying for me that day. Thank you again to those who did. I listened to some music, reached out to a few to help me center myself and process it all, and took out the Christmas decorations to begin decorating early this year. I prayed. I wrestled and then I consciously turned it over to Him and went to sleep. 

Step by step by step... or as Dori would say "Just keep swimming..."  

So, Monday (21st) begins my official 5 weeks of chemoradiation. 

 Here we go! Let's get this cancer outta here!