Weight = 232 lb.
Thought I'd include some vitals as we go along. The foregoing suggests that I have been having an awfully good time this week. Actually, this is my most recent long-term weight at which I have been for a couple years. We'll see how this goes.
Reading quite a lot of anecdotes about taste aversion--those of you reading who are Behavior Analysts can skip this part--a conditioning process in which the body identifies poisons and essentially makes one avert from the taste associated with them. E.g., the classic is the steak bernaise sauce link. If the sauce is bad, one averts specifically to the taste of the sauce, not the surroundings, the plates, or the steak. I had a small case of this during a sea voyage when I was 14. We were on the way to England in 1953 to play concerts for 5 months--a boys' band of 40 individuals. We sailed on the Cunard line from Quebec City, Quebec to Portsmouth England. We caught the tail end of a nor'easter when we got into the North Atlantic. They locked us in for 3 days. The decks were awash. This was a 20,000 ton liner. As there was no air conditioning, the smell of vomit throughout the ship increased each day. I was taking dramamine, but it left me permanently queasy. The stewards served mountains of hard rolls and butter before dinner every night, and, being 14, I ate a lot of them. Thereafter, they were unappealing to me for a considerable time. Anecdotally, there is quite a bit of talk that one shouldn't eat one's preferred foods during chemo for this very reason.
The port placement area--a little lower than I thought--is tender but healing nicely. The surgical pad came off on Thursday and I was able to shower, which was a considerable pleasure as it probably was for those around me. (Just kidding: I bathed the prior 3 days.)
This week we have had good friends visiting from Albuquerque. We are travelling companions with this couple and we all get along well. So there was considerable eating and drinking as there will be today. We belong to a brunch group--4 couples--which meets 4 times a year to pot luck brunch on a Sunday. Usually these are anywhere from 4-7 hour gatherings. We have all joked about producing a cookbook since the food and wine usually work out so well. I probably won't ingest as much wine today as I usually do since I want to be strong for tomorrow.
I also got partially buzzed on Thursday, but my barber couldn't bring herself to whack off the top--already pretty thin. However, it is an approximation, and we'll see what the brunch group thinks. I'll go back in a couple weeks and get it shortened farther. No, I still don't know how to post a pic on this thing, but I may change my profile pic as we go and accomplish the same thing. The current profile pic was taken 4 years ago in Spain.
Inadvertently, I have probably located AbJ's MCL patient who opted for treatment at Huntsman. We'll call her Em as she wishes to remain anonymous. Through an intermediary I have learned that Em has decided to approach her fight by continuing as normal a lifestyle as possible. (I don't as yet know all about what is normal for her.) She takes as many diversionary activities with her as possible to chemo--crossword puzzles, books, music. I like her! I am going to start exactly the same way. It sounds as though she is also on R-CHOP. She has found a couple of potentially important things for me: 1. by contacting the Lymphoma Research Foundation, one can get hooked (?) up with someone who has the same diagnosis. She has had 2 "buddies" in this way who have been helpful to her, as she has to them. 2. She has used mj throughout, not waiting to get nauseous before employing it. Sounds a plan. Others have told me about its effectiveness and its appetite stimulating effects. I will get along with a little help from my friends. 3. She has kept up a physical fitness regimen. I will continue mine and maybe find out more to do, that is specifically helpful. 4. Huntsman also has a program of free acupuncture against pain. Jan is looking around our area here to see what is available. That portion may require a trip to Ogden. (Or, indeed, if health permits, why not an overnight at our townhome in SLC?)
I am apprehensive. I get these same feelings before every concert or live performance. Life as I know it will change tomorrow. How much? We'll see.
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