Improvement

Good morning!

And, yes, it has been a pretty good one for me...all things considered. I rested well and it is Christmas Eve!!!

I thought that with everything that has gone on, I needed to take note of how far we have come. Everyday seems to get a little better. The improvements are sometimes so small it is hard to recognize them, but as I search for good in my life I see how I am being blessed.

First off let me start with my hand/arm. This was a huge problem in the beginning. I was in more pain than I thought I could bear. Nerve pain is not anything you ever want to experience. Give me childbirth any day...at least you know that it will eventually end. With a combination of changing my treatment and therapeutic exercises and stretches, I am happy to report that my hand and arm are about 90% back! Yay! I almost have full range of motion, My sense of touch is slowly returning and my strength is getting better. But by far, the BEST news of all is that I am in no pain and am off all pain medications! I almost have a completely happy hand!

My neck was also very painful and swollen. I couldn't turn my head at all. That is gone and my neck is only tender in certain places. I have most of my range of motion back.

The next huge problem we faced was the nausea. Nausea so bad that it was impossible to take 10 steps by myself. If I had to go far and I had no help, I crawled...and I usually threw up on the way there. This nausea was caused by the chemo drugs and the pain meds. So as I weaned off of the meds, the nausea naturally got better. This is the time that I started to loose weight and was almost hospitalized for dehydration because I couldn't even keep water down.

As the nausea got better, the vomiting didn't. Because of a different reason. The drugs are super hard on your stomach and digestive system. Anything that was put in...wanted out! My appetite for food was less and less and my weight continued to decline.

Now for the good news! I haven't thrown up in 2 days!!! That is such a big deal. Such an enormous step forward. That means that I may start to put on weight soon. (feels weird saying that)

The major thing that I'm dealing with right now is crazy, painful mouth sores. They make it very hard to eat, drink, swallow, talk, and even sleep. We are treating them and hoping that they are on their way out too. Really, because the last time I got on a scale I only weighed 95 pounds. Depressing.

I still do daily IV's at home to stay hydrated, and I have absolutely no energy. Walking up and down my stairs feels like a mile run. But these things are easily solved by eating good food and having a body healthy enough to utilize it. I know that will happen with time because look how far we have come!!!

Oh...I forgot to mention somewhere in there that I lost all my hair. It's a bummer, but it is causing me no discomfort other than having to my pride shaken. Having to be a bald, skinny lady again really does suck, but it is the thing that I am least worried about.

So there it is! Your "glass half full" update. :)