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Chemo, Round Two - Check

We're home now from the hospital again, which means I'm 33% done with the expected number of chemo treatments!  (I know it doesn't sound like a lot but I'll take what I can get and you know how much I like math.)

During this stint in the hospital I think I did a better job of being up and walking - I got up in the mornings and stayed up and walked the halls enough to get about 1.5 to 2 miles of walking in on most days.  Every bit of advice from every doctor irrespective of the side effect I was asking about was "drink a lot and walk a lot".  I can do that.  (Was better at drinking a lot when wine was still part of my life, but whatever.  Come springtime I'm going to be a real lightweight!)  

I also did a better job of keeping up with eating so I'm hoping that will give me a better foundation at home.  I lost a good bit of weight during the first round and have managed to gain a couple of pounds back over the last week.  Basically as long as I feel like I have an appetite I'm mostly just spending time stuffing my face.

Is Scott Still Here?

Of course he is!  He's my caretaker extraordinaire and many of you have been asking how he's doing.  His short, Scott-like answer is, "I'm fine. I don't have cancer."  But we're not going to let him off the hook that easily.  Here's a Scott entry to catch you all up... 

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I feel like I'm finally getting a handle on the various pills, appointments, medications and I'm not as worried that at any moment I might end up doing something to hurt Shelly.  I didn't do a good job of taking care of myself during the first round but I've learned my lesson and will be doing better.  I really didn't get out for more than one or two runs during the first round and often forgot to eat in the midst of trying to help Shelly stuff her face.  I just didn't feel like I could leave her because every day brought a new challenge and I felt like I needed to keep a close eye on her in case she reacted to something.  I was also on the phone with our oncology nurse, Patti, very frequently - sometimes a few times a day - so I was always waiting for the phone to ring or writing down questions to remember.

I'm already doing better because I got out for a couple of runs while in the hospital and I too have gained some weight back!  I enjoyed celebrating my birthday in the hospital this year (not)....but I did get chocolate cake.  I now have three spreadsheets tracking Shelly's food intake, her daily log of what each day brings, and all of the medications and when they're taken.  And I've  showered at least three times in the last couple of weeks.  :) 

Anyone who needs to get a hold of us, feel free to call or text me: 720.253.5051.  I can let you know about good days to visit, give updates, and let you know if food would be helpful.  All of the offers to help are greatly appreciated and in these next rounds we'll have a better handle on ways people can help.  It kind of depends on where we are in the round.  That being said, I'm totally fine (I don't have cancer) and now I need to go make something for Shelly to eat.
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