June 13, 2013 - It is now almost two weeks after Jimmy's last chemo treatment.
This last round of chemo really seemed to take its toll on Jimmy in a way that the other rounds have not. Aside from the complications during the week, after it was over, Jimmy was extremely sore all over. He said that it felt like every bone in his body was breaking. This went on for several days.
The mouth sores came on with a vengeance and his taste buds were completely gone for almost a week. The sores were so bad that it made his tongue jagged on the sides. Not to mention that he developed thrush in his mouth as well. He was truly a mess after this round. As usual, the blood counts were at zero and that didn't help with the healing of the mouth sores or the thrush. He had to gargle with a pain killing mouthwash.
As usual, his airways are hypersensitive, especially now that pollen counts are high. He is also always tired. His endurance level is non-existent and the smallest bit of exertion tires him out.
Now that it is getting warmer and the sun is out more, a side effect has become more prominent. Jimmy is finding out how much the doxyrubicin changes the pigmentation of his skin. He always has a great olive complexion and the chemo seemed to make his skin have a yellow tint. Well, now that he is out in the sun more, he has noticed some brown spots on his skin as well as some freckles on his face.
My poor husband. This is a man who was a bodybuilder, had a great head of hair and always had a great tan. Well, apparently, the chemo won this round. Jimmy is almost 40 lbs. lighter, has no hair and now has a weird skin color. If it wasn't so awful it would be funny.
The good thing is that chemo is over. We have put the lung nodules on the back burner for now since there is nothing we can do but wait until Jimmy gets more scans in a couple of months. And, now, two weeks after chemo, is when Jimmy is starting to feel better and I am certain he is going to get stronger and more active soon.
He starts radiation the first went of July, so he still has a couple of weeks to regain some strength before that starts. He goes next week to get fitted for an apparatus for his leg that will allow the radiologist to administer the radiation in exactly the same spot every time. He will also get 3 little tattoo dots on his leg that will show the radiologist where to aim the radiation.
As for Logan, he is still dealing with the fact that his Dad has cancer. He gets emotional easily and still has a tough time dealing with those emotions. Every day is a work in progress and I pray that Logan will get through this as unscathed as possible.
As for me, I'm knee deep in getting ready for the fundraiser. It is next Friday, June 21, 2013. It has been a lot of work but I have had the help, especially one friend in particular...you know who you are. Again, through all of this, we have really found out who our friends are. Those I thought who would reach out to help have not. Those I never dreamed that would help have. Oh well, this is not about that. The fundraiser is to try and help put a dent in our exorbitant medical bills. To date, insurance has still not paid anything and that is very scary considering the fact that the bills are now in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. I know eventually it will all work out somehow. I know that God has a plan for us.
I am excited about the fundraiser though. My faith in the kindness of others, especially strangers, has been completed revitalized. There have been so many generous people and businesses that have donated so much. As of today, we have more than 50 silent auction items, including overnight stays, diamond jewelry, restaurant gift cards, wine baskets, date night baskets, birthday parties and so much more. There will be DJ entertainment and some great food too. Hopefully, it will be a fun night. Most of all, I hope that some of Jimmy's old friends come to see him. I think a night out with old friends might be just the trick to make him feel better.
For those of you from other countries reading the blog, thank you. My blog has now been seen by people in 20 different countries around the world. I would love to hear from you. Please comment if you can (some people have not been able to) or comment on the Facebook page, Kulicks Kicking Cancer. I do hope that somehow my blog is helping someone else out there dealing with the same thing and realizes they are not alone in this.
Thanks again for the kind words, thoughts and prayers we have been receiving. It truly means a lot.
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