Cycle 3 Week 1 Report from Danny

I cannot tell you how happy I am right now to be feeling as good as I
am on a Day 6 of a Chemo week! Last cycle at this time I was in real
desperate measures thinking that I was not going to be able to last
the day. I was pacing myself to death and counting the minutes until I
could take some sleeping pills. So, needless to say, I was really
nervous heading into this next cycle. I did have hopes that it would
be better since we realized some of the mistakes we made
overdosing and mixing the anti-nausea drugs caused the torture, but I
was still nervous with how much it hit me last time.

Since then, there has been a lot of fasting, prayers, and positive
reinforcement and support and I must thank everyone for that. I have
felt the blessings of the Lord so strongly during this week of chemo.
My body and mind have reacted so much better this time. I have been
able to do things, focus on things, rest, and have a pretty good week.
I was able to go out to Walnut Creek with Christy and Lucy, and last night I went
to a Nutritional Cooking class at this Cancer Community Wellness
Center with Mom. I couldn't believe it! I feel hopeful again, that I
will be able make it through this treatment. I pray that this will
continue and continue to ask for all of your prayers and good thoughts.

The wrinkle that has happened this time has been what I found out to
be the "Prednazone Crash". Prednazone is a steroid that I take a lot
of for 14 days straight, and then suddenly I stop it on the day of
"relief week". I always look for relief week as my glimmer of hope at
the end of the 2 week struggle, but I was so "wigged out", the first
couple of days that I had to call the doctor and see what was going on
with me. I was really anxious, depressed, and just mentally,
emotionally and physically really wacked out. It is really hard to
explain. When I called and explained to the doctor on call she was
like, "oh, you are totally on prednazone crash". I was upset that I
wasn't told about this before and to expect it, but I was happy to
hear that what I was experiencing was something explainable. We were prescribed some longer lasting anti-anxiety medicine that seemed to help me. It took awhile to wear off, but we were luckily distracted by Luke coming and going to SF, etc. That helped a lot. I'm hoping that we will be able to cope and handle it better this next time. I'm hopeful right now and feel confident that we can.

Tomorrow I meet with Janet, the nurse practitioner. On Tuesday I have
my day 8 infusion. And then it is on to shots week. Please remind me
to take the narcotics before the real pain sets in this time! No need
to have a Wolverine experience this time around... especially since I
never get the adiantium bones.

Other things- I am looking a lot different. I have gained a lot of
weight and am really puffy in my face. It's kinda weird to look in
the mirror sometimes.

I love you all and want to thank you all again for your fasting,
prayers and support! They all mean a great deal to me and I pray that
the Lord will bless you in return.

Here is a random shot of our chocolate lover: