February 2018 in Review

February is not my favorite month mentally since both my parents passed away around Valentine's Day. Dad passed away in 2005 on that day and we buried Mom on Valentine's Day in 2016. I really don't do any big celebrating or sweet mushy gestures this time of year. I did however, jump feet first into half priced candy after the flower frenzy day was over!

My last CT scan revealed fluid built up in the sack surrounding my right lung, so my Doctors decided to drain the fluid out. Without too many gory details, they sat me on the side of a bed leaning over a tray table with my arms crossed as a Nurse held my arms down. That was my first clue this wasn't going to be pleasant. I asked if I needed a bullet to bite on.

It's been many years since my Mom would tickle and tease me and I had forgotten how ticklish I still am. The Doctor had to probe with his fingers to locate the space between my ribs and I was having a hard time holding still while he tickled my side. Once he located the sweet spot and inserted the needle it was a piece of cake. Who knew being tickled was worse than having a needle inserted into your lung cavity?

I watched as the glass jar filled up with fluid and they had to get a second bottle. When it finished, they had drained 1400 ml of fluid, which is just over a quart. Oddly, I was not having any breathing problems and no symptoms at all before this. They did tests on it and it came back normal, but after a week of more tests, a result came back with "atypical cells", which made them suspicious given my history. They decided to hold off on radiation and start me back on chemo to knock down any abnormal cells before they attach to something and grow.

Hey, it's February, why not! We go through the lab tests, possible side effects and the chemo. I had one of the drugs on the first go round, so I knew what to expect. The second drug is a "step up", and boy, that's an understatement. My RN, Vickie, told me to let her know if I had a reaction to it, although she said she would know before me because I would turn beet red from the waist up if it happened and she would see it. Fortunately it went well and I remained tanned.

The next morning, though, it had hit me like a ton of bricks. Every "possible" side effect listed showed its ugly head and did not ease up. Even jacked up on steroids! The next day was no better, but it got me to the weekend, so I had four days to recover before the next work week. Plenty of time, no? NOPE! My fatigue level was off the chart, but slowly I was able to amble around a little more each day. Now, chemo messes with your tastes buds, which I expected, but not exactly. In previous rounds I lost my tastes for anything with artificial flavors, milk and iced tea. I'm Southern, how can I turn down tea, Pepsi or Coke? Just water, maybe with lemon.

This time however, I was like the girls in the movie "Nine To Five" eating after their pot party. Everything tasted soooo good! I got my taste for tea back, hot and iced. Food was awesome and I loved it. Didn't keep it all down, but it sure was good going in!

So I pretty much spent the rest of the month dog tired all the time, but a bit stronger each day. I started eyeing the weather forecasts since we had an abnormal end of month warm spell. Everything pointed to a great weekend to end February and I quickly booked a trip to Nags Head. We had a fantastic time and I got my annual off road beach pass for Cape Hatteras. I drove on the sand from Nags Head to Oregon Inlet, the point of the island where the ferries cross to Ocracoke and then off to the famous Shelly Island at the lighthouse. It's so cool to park on the beach, take the chairs out and watch the birds fishing and not have to lug them several hundred yards in soft sand. I didn't expect so many flies to enter the Jeep and not find their way out. It's Thursday, and I didn't see any today, so maybe the last one starved to death.

It was a horrible month, but an great way to end it!