The Cancer saga (was:Good thoughts to Glitch Cat and me)

[Deaths Jester]

we'll serve chicken soup to you! 

Coming from you, DJ, I'm not entirely certain about the "chicken" part of that sentence.   

It was chicken once!

[Panther_Gunn]

we'll serve chicken soup to you! 

Coming from you, DJ, I'm not entirely certain about the "chicken" part of that sentence.   

It was chicken once!

In which incarnation?

[Tomato]

panther, chicken brains are still technically chicken meat.

[Panther_Gunn]

panther, chicken brains are still technically chicken meat.

Even though the only thing smaller than chicken brains is Nightdragon's spannage, that's still a whole lotta chickens just to make one bowl of soup.

[Glitch Girl]

Honestly, I'd never eat ANYTHING Jester cooked for my own gastrointestinal safety. 

Well... it started monday, and continues.  Specifically shedding hair like no tomorrow.  Just running my fingers through it removes clumps.  It's not just my scalp, but pretty much all over except maybe my eyelashes (even my brows seem a little thinner) and I expect them to think as well.  Currently, there is a cloud of it in the garbage by my desk just like there was one yesterday.  It is very disconcerting.  I have no idea when it's going to stop.

I am wearing a hat to work, an old ball cap I got at at NYC's Natural History Museum.  I still have quite a bit of hair left on my scalp, but who knows how long that will last.   Since I last wrote, I have manage to procure a wig should I need one thanks to a very nice christian wig shop I happened upon completely by accident.  God does work in mysterious ways, but I am thankful none the less.

And I am now officially 40 with no plans nor real desire to celebrate.  I think I'll just put it off until next year.

[Cyber Burn]

Happy Birthday Glitch. I know you may not feel like celebrating, but it may be a good idea to do it anyway. Positive energy and all that.

Try to have a great day Glitch, take care of yourself.

[Panther_Gunn]

Instead of a birthday party, I suggest holding a wake, for your dearly departed youth, with perhaps a marathon watching of Black Adder.  'tis the proper age for dark humor.  And then follow it up with Red Dwarf, just to balance it all out with some silly.

[Epimethee]

Happy Birthday, GG! 

I second CB in suggesting you do something special for yourself to celebrate the occasion, be it spending time with friends, doing something offbeat or planning a getaway weekend. (Mind you, I didn't follow this advice when I turned 40. Hopefully I'll do better on the next decade change.)

[thalaw2]

Happy Birthday GG!  Sometimes no celebration is the best celebration of all...hahaha

[stumpy]

Happy belated birthday, GG. Sorry this hasn't been your best one, but we are all glad that you will be here for more. Many (and much happier) returns! 

[Tomato]

Yeah, I know it may not feel good on your end, but we're definately happy you made it through another year... And hey, it's hard to go down from here, right?

[BlueBard]

And I am now officially 40 with no plans nor real desire to celebrate.  I think I'll just put it off until next year.

Good idea!  Forget 40!  Next year, you can do what my wife did... start counting backward from 40

(Oh, and PG... bad idea.  Traditionally morbidity is celebrated at 50, not 40.  Which makes counting backwards from 40 a really, really good idea.)

Personally, I have a hard time remembering I'm 46... so there is an upside to memory loss and having poor math skills!

Seriously, I'd like to echo what 'Mato said... We're all very happy you're a year older and we expect to wish you a happy birthday next year, too.

[Glitch Girl]

Thanks everyone.  On the birthday front, last night was "game night" - ie: the night I play video games with friends or occasionally watch movies instead, we alternate houses - and I was present with cake, ice cream, and this beauty [link] .  I have dubbed him Super Ham and he's already devoured some loose change. 

[Deaths Jester]

Honestly, I'd never eat ANYTHING Jester cooked for my own gastrointestinal safety. 

Nobody ever wants to eat anything I cook even though I am a pretty good cook...

Beware the pig, just cause he looks like a superhero you have to remember, he still wallows in mud.  Nothing ever good happens from things that wallow in mud...believe me I know.

Happy B-day, GG...sorry it was late but hey, at least I got around to it. 

[thalaw2]

Thanks everyone.  On the birthday front, last night was "game night" - ie: the night I play video games with friends or occasionally watch movies instead, we alternate houses - and I was present with cake, ice cream, and this beauty [link] .  I have dubbed him Super Ham and he's already devoured some loose change. 

Game night...with actual other people in the same room/place...that's awesome!  I havent' had that for quite a long time.  I glad you got something to celebrate your b-day.  I'm a bit toxicated....but I imagnie that when I'm old and gray nursing homes will have to have computer networks for gaming....for our generation.

[daglob]

I vaugely remember 40...

Enjoy each new birthday, anyway. It will annoy your enemies (and some of your friends) to no end.

[Silver Shocker]

Sorry to hear about your hair GG. Hope things improve for you.

[edited to add] oh and I laughed when I saw that Superman piggy bank. It's too cute by far.

[The Phantom Eyebrow]

Continued well-wishes to you there Glitchie, as well as belated birthday wishes. 
I do rather like the look of Super Ham I have to say 

[BentonGrey]

Ohh, sorry I missed the birthday!  I'm glad to hear that it was a happy one, GG, especially considering the circumstances.  That's really cool, about the Christian wig shop. 

Super Ham is awesome!

[Deaths Jester]

Seeing as I missed you b-day GG, I thought about getting you a belated b-day stripper but for some reason he wouldn't take my money...so no stripper...sorry....at least I tried.   

[Glitch Girl]

[ponders DJ's concept of a "stripper"]

[stops]

Ho-kaaaaaay, enough of that brain-scarirng image.

I've been bad about updating as of late.  My latest treatment was last monday and I haven't really felt like writing about it.  It went about as to be expected.  It was dull, and my nurse wasn't as social this time (couldn't be helped, she was swamped with work) so I read a lot.  Brought some of my own snacks this time, but still dipped into the Snickers bars.  I can't remember where I found out that the reason for all the junk food was because many cancer patients are trying to put on weight, but it was a bit of a revelation.  I left feeling kinda tired but mostly okay.

Next day was another story.

I got up late so I was rushing to get to work on time.  In my rush, I forgot to pack my thermometer. and though I was cold, the temperature had dropped overnight so I figured that was why.  Once at work, things deteriorated - I couldn't stop shivering and was starting to ache.  At lunch I went home, checked my temp and discovered I was walking around with a 100.3 degree fever.  Two phone calls followed: one to work to say I wasn't coming back that day and one to the nurse because of symptoms that are filed under "contact nurse immediately".  Fluids, Tylenol, and rest were prescribed, and if the fever lingered or went up, call back immediately. 

Thankfully, neither happened.  Wednesday was spent mostly asleep with occasional breaks for fluids and the fever broke around 2. 

Since then, things have been meh.  My mouth once again feels like it's been scalded and there's a certain "bleah" quality to everything I taste.  Energy level's been in the "meh" range as well.  Hair loss has slowed I guess, probably because about 4/5s of it is gone off my scalp.  What's left is very thin, which means I don't go out without hat for anything. 

It wasn't all bad though.  My best friend sent me some birthday presents, which included a shirt as shown here and a knifeblock and knife set in black called "The Ex" which I suspect DJ will never let me hear the end of.   The picture is a bit deceptive: this thing is HUGE, a little over a foot tall on the counter.  To give you an idea of scale, the center most knife is a full sized chef's knife.   

Two more treatments to go... 

[Silver Shocker]

Dang. Sorry you're not feeling better GG.

That knife set....yikes, that's some dark humor right there.

[BlueBard]

Well, if you gotta wear a hat...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/119558588/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-convertible?

Might as well be fun to wear.

[BentonGrey]

I'm glad you had some bright spots in the midst of all that GG.  That knifeblock is amazing!  It's described as "cathartic," and that seems apt.   

Also, BB, that is awesome.

[thalaw2]

The knife thing is scary...very scary.  Is that legal?  lol.  Oddly, it's always what I imagined would happened to me if an "ex" got ever got mad and came after me....good thing I always treat the ladies with respect, cuz I'm thalaw and that's what I do.

[stumpy]

Sorry the treatments have had those side-effects, GG. I don't know what it's like, but I've had family tell me about some of those symptoms, particularly on the taste of food (I particularly recall, "I know I'm supposed to eat, but everything tastes like sand"). I'm glad the worst of it has abated somewhat.

That knife set is pretty awesome! It'll probably be the source of an interesting conversation or two, or at least a meaningful pause as the next significant other realizes what it is. ;-)

Love that TMNT hat, BB.

[Deaths Jester]

[ponders DJ's concept of a "stripper"]

[stops]

Ho-kaaaaaay, enough of that brain-scarirng image.

It was a real stripper, not one of those "other" types of strippers...why does everyone think so naughty things about me?

I've been bad about updating as of late.  My latest treatment was last monday and I haven't really felt like writing about it.  It went about as to be expected.  It was dull, and my nurse wasn't as social this time (couldn't be helped, she was swamped with work) so I read a lot.  Brought some of my own snacks this time, but still dipped into the Snickers bars.  I can't remember where I found out that the reason for all the junk food was because many cancer patients are trying to put on weight, but it was a bit of a revelation.  I left feeling kinda tired but mostly okay.

From what I know about chemo, most of the patients are trying to put on the weight because the treatments put so much drain on their body that they loss tons of weight which in the condition that they are in isn't good - when the fat is gone the body starts to devour the muscle masses which isn't needed at all.

Next day was another story.

I got up late so I was rushing to get to work on time.  In my rush, I forgot to pack my thermometer. and though I was cold, the temperature had dropped overnight so I figured that was why.  Once at work, things deteriorated - I couldn't stop shivering and was starting to ache.  At lunch I went home, checked my temp and discovered I was walking around with a 100.3 degree fever.  Two phone calls followed: one to work to say I wasn't coming back that day and one to the nurse because of symptoms that are filed under "contact nurse immediately".  Fluids, Tylenol, and rest were prescribed, and if the fever lingered or went up, call back immediately. 

Thankfully, neither happened.  Wednesday was spent mostly asleep with occasional breaks for fluids and the fever broke around 2. 

Since then, things have been meh.  My mouth once again feels like it's been scalded and there's a certain "bleah" quality to everything I taste.  Energy level's been in the "meh" range as well.  Hair loss has slowed I guess, probably because about 4/5s of it is gone off my scalp.  What's left is very thin, which means I don't go out without hat for anything. 

Sounds like you're body reacted unhappily to the last treatment, possibly caught a cold during the extremely reduced immunity situation during the treatment.  You are in a spot that is filled with viruses after all - hospital/clinic.  Sucks that you had to go through it though.  As for the hair....Well, at least it's easier to wash your hair?!?!?!  You never have to worry about hat hair?!?!?!  Yeah, I'm really trying here.

It wasn't all bad though.  My best friend sent me some birthday presents, which included a shirt as shown here and a knifeblock and knife set in black called "The Ex" which I suspect DJ will never let me hear the end of.   The picture is a bit deceptive: this thing is HUGE, a little over a foot tall on the counter.  To give you an idea of scale, the center most knife is a full sized chef's knife.   

You are so right about "The Ex"...I HAVE TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE!!!  You must send it my way or something....it's sooooo perfect!!  Just as long as you never do that to me, then I'm safe.  At least there isn't a crotch knife...heh...that would be so..um....yeah....

[daglob]

Hats iz goot! Just ask any Jagermonster.

[Alaric]

Hey, Glitch Girl. Glad to hear you're doing relatively well. I feel bad about abandoning the Forums just when you need all the moral support you can get- but, then, you seem to be getting plenty of that, anyway (including some from me a while back, of course). I hope things get better. And a late Happy Birthday to you, as well.

I'm in awe of your ability to post in such good spirits, given everything. You're a phenomenal person.

I'm glad you have friends to help you deal with all of this- both in person, and here.

I'd like to end with some clever, lighthearted, witty remark, but I'm afraid I'm tired and somewhat socially out of practice these days, and I can't think of anything that wouldn't feel forced. I wish you all the best, and I'm thinking about you.

Be well.

[grenadier]

Hey GG,

It's been a while since I was in the forum.  I just found out about your condition. 
I'm sure you're going through some tough times right now and I pray that it will get better.