Cancer? What Cancer?

I'm finding this hard to believe. I'm 6-weeks removed from pretty significant shoulder surgery. I've been diagnosed with Cancer and I'm off and running with treatment to get that cleaned up. And neither of those are my most pressing issue de jour.

My arm/neck/nerve thing on my left side is just about out of control. Yes, it comes and goes. When it's "Gone" my arm is achy and weak and my neck is numb but sensitive to the touch. That's when it's gone. When it comes my upper arm is uncontrollably painful. Nothing I can do to appease it, it just hurts like hell. Poor Emily and Jenny have been exposed to some language I'm sure they had never heard before. Hopefully Sophie can't hear.

But seriously, I'm not sure what to do. I have an MRI scheduled for next Tuesday to look at my neck and spine to see if something's awry there. I had an appointment this morning with the Nurse Practitioner at my Oncologist office for bloodwork, weigh-in and general "How are things going" visit. She said we'd be needing some advanced pain meds soon enough any way so why not go ahead and get started to see if they help with this neck/arm thing. So, I have a "pain patch" I get to start wearing that doses me regularly then I have some other good stuff to help with the peaks.

I'm a little hesitant to be taking all these drugs -- especially so early -- but she told me not to worry about it. It's just part of the course.

Now on to the miniscule subject of my cancer treatment, I have sores and blisters on top of sores and blisters in my mouth. Absolutely disgusting -- not to mention painful. The N.P. told me I've already managed to develop a case the Thrush -- a yeast infection -- in my mouth. So I got more drugs to deal with that.

When this all started I bought one of those pill dispenser things that "old people" have to put all their medicine in. You know, it has seven little compartments with "S", "M", "T", "W", etc. on top of each compartment. What the heck!?! I have too many pills to fit into the stupid compartments! I'm going to have to get a second one so that I can have one for my morning pills and one for my evening pills.

Body wise I feel pretty good this week. My mouth and throat are killing me, my right arm/shoulder are making progress but still well below normal and my left arm -- well, you already heard more than you wanted about that. But other than those non-insignificant items, I generally feel well. Still tired, of course, given my ongoing insomnia, but no nausea, no heartburn, no other general aches and pains. I'm extracting that as a positive for the week.

I have a full-time Chauffer now in Jenny's mom. Between the lack of sleep and the pain drugs I'm not interested in another "nap at the stoplight" incident. So I think my driving days are over for a while. Tim will be devastated as that means he now has a car to drive.

And many thanks to the folks from Jenny's work and from the Soccer team. We've been getting some great meals and they just keep coming. Thank you all. That's one less thing we (Jenny and her mom) have to worry about plus the food's been marvelous. I'll have to admit, we're getting pretty close to the point I'll not be enjoying them personally but the rest of the crew still has to eat and it's been great. So thanks for that as well as all the thoughts, prayers and cards that have come our way. We can feel your support and we appreciate it.