Welcome to the Chemo Lounge

Today is Monday, my first day of my 5th 3 day session. I feel a well as I have since I started this adventure. It took about a week to 10 days to get over the effects of my last Chemo session. Each one gets a little worse. I have no reason to believe this session will be any different. At least, I will have only one more 3 day session starting the 15th of July. According to my doctor I will have a CAT scan after I finish all my sessions and then another scan 3 months later (mid-Oct). Then they will evaluate my progress and go from there.  Hopefully, I will be in remission. If not, they will come up with another plan of attack to deal with the cancer. Different Chemo chemicals and treatment plan. At least I will have 3 months off to be normal again. It seems like forever since I have felt normal.  Will go to Idaho in Aug to visit relatives and play golf and hopefully forget about my cancer for a little while..

Igor, my bartender is taking a few weeks off to visit his home in Serbia. Just my luck, I was just getting him trained. Sean will be substituting and I hope Igor left meticulous instruction on the right mixture of rat poison and vodka.

Today is Tuesday and I'm starting to feel it. It looks like another bad week, but, it is to be expected.  Pretty tired so I won't write much.

Now it's Wednesday and it's almost over. As soon as I get home I will go to bed. I'm very tired and will spend about 18 to 20 hrs in bed for the rest of the week. I will try to play golf tomorrow but we'll have to see how that goes. If at all possible, I will play.

Today is Sunday and I'm starting to feel a little more human. As expected this week was tough.  But, I'm not the only one going through this. I am constantly meeting people who are going through the same thing I am.  They don't understand why any more than I do. They are just ordinary people with extraordinary problems, and it is difficult to comprehend.

Sunday is golf day with GA and I hope I can finish the round. I do enjoy my Sundays' with GA because it gives us a chance to enjoy day together doing what we enjoy. Hopefully, there will be many Sundays' to come.

Signing off from the Chemo Lounge

Ron

Letters From the Chemo Lounge

Well, today is not a Chemo day, but I thought I would update you and let you know that I managed to survive that last Chemo session. Today, Sun the 16th,I just returned from playing golf with GA and friends and felt really good. I shot one of my best rounds this year. I even felt so good that I walked (WOW). Unfortunately, I only have another week to enjoy before I have another Chemo session. I know it has to be done, but I don't relish the after affects. Each session has been worse than the last. But, the show must go one. At least when I finish this session, I will only have one more to go.

Thanks again for all the wonderful support that you have given me during this adventure.

Until we meet again in the Chemo Lounge

Ron

Letters From the Chemo Lounge

Well, here we are again in the Chemo Lounge with my favorite cocktail waitress (Tess) and bartender (Igor). This is my 4th 3 day session out of 6 total. This week I will be over half way through Chemo. Only 2 more 3 day sessions to go. That will take me out to mid July. I finished radiation a week ago and I have already noticed that my throat is feeling better. It's nice to be able to eat again and almost enjoy it. Monday turned into a party atmosphere as we had a good, lively, crowd. Mindy was telling stories about her pet snake (Rex), and Brenda and I were really playing it up. The best story was when Mindy went grocery shopping and forgot that Rex was wrapped around her neck. She couldn't figure why people were reacting so strangely until she realized that Rex was causing all the fuss. She quickly put him away in her purse, and hasn't been back to that store since. What a hoot!!!!!!! We were having such a good time that we decided that our new motto would be: "What happens at the Chemo Lounge, stays at the Chemo Lounge." It's amazing the number of interesting people that I have met during my Adventures. Keep it up Ladies.

Last week, a good friend, gave me a pocket angel to carry. It's supposed to watch over me and help me through the bad times until my adventure is over. I'm not a particularly religious person, but for some reason this little gesture really touched me. Maybe, it was that it meant something special to the giver, and that by giving it to me made me feel special. Now, I don't go out the door without it in my pocket. And another special thanks goes out to Mary for knowing just what I needed that last week of radiation when my throat was at it's worst. Homemade Custard. Boy, was that good. It really hit the spot. I really feel a special bond with Mary, because she went trough all this last year and seems to know exactly what I'm going through at every stage.She is a very special lady. If she was from Georgia, she would be real "Georgia Peach". She has really been helpful and encouraging through all of this. Thanks Special Lady.

I started this letter Monday, and now it is Sunday. It has been my most challenging week yet. The cumulative affect has really hit me. Usually, when I go play golf, even if I don't really feel up to it, I always feel better after I start playing. But, this week was different. I didn't feel better. The longer I played, the worse I felt. I have spent most of the last 4 days in bed. It really kicked my A**.  I was determined not to let my Cancer get me down. That I would continue to live my life just as if nothing had happened.  My personal motto was that "Cancer might kill me, but I wouldn't let it beat me". Cancer won this week. But, I'll be back.

Until next time:

Ron