Friday, 12/3 -- For what it's worth... not much, really.

Now for the least interesting or overrated cities I’ve visited:
Orlando, Florida – All it has going for it is Disney, and I don’t like Disney.
Indianapolis, Indiana – Birthplace of Kurt Vonnegut. Nothing else has happened there since.
Phoenix, Arizona – Hot, dry, sprawling. Not much to see.
Canberra, Australia – Lived there for about 6 months. It could pass for Indianapolis except for the funny accent.
Richmond, Virginia – What’s the fastest way back onto I-95?

I’m sure these cities have a lot going for them that I missed. There are millions of people that call these places home. All I can go on is first impressions.

So it goes.

Thursday, 12/2 -- Be nice to my city.

I managed to pull myself together today and get myself to work. I’m still doing about 4 hours a day in the office, when I can.

It’s good for me to get up and out of the house. I feel a great need to reconnect with the outside world. I’ve been isolated and lonely for too long. Going to work is just one way to shake off those cobwebs.

I love Center City during December; all the stores are all Christmassy, people shopping, etc, etc.
Despite all the tarnish that has been put on the city’s reputation, Philadelphia really is a beautiful city.

I’m not a frequent world traveler, but I have been to a number of cities across this country, as well as New Zealand and Australia. From what little I’ve seen, Philly has more going for it than most average cities.

Top favorite cities, besides Philly:
San Francisco, California
Montreal, Canada
Christchurch, New Zealand
Adelaide, South Australia
Hobart, Tasmania

Cities that I’ve got a hankerin’ to visit:
Seattle, Washington
New Orleans, Louisiana
London, England
Toronto, Canada
Perth, Australia
Dublin, Ireland
Glasgow, Scotland
and many more.

Wednesday, 12/1 -- Return of the PJ Indian.

I took today off from work. I woke up early, felt crappy and tired so I went back to bed. I got up around 9:30, still felt crappy and foggy. I wondered if I got moving maybe I'd start to feel better.

By 11:00, it was definite that I wasn't going to make it out of my PJs today.

You know you have mental fogginess, AKA Chemo Brain, when you have a difficult time assembling the ingredients for your morning cup of coffee. I made the coffee, and I had to rethink the steps to make sure I got it all together correctly. (Did I put water in the pot? Did I use the filtered water? I hope I used coffee beans instead of black pepper corns? Stuff like that.)

If I had that much trouble with coffee, I sure as hell shouldn't be out on the roads.

Yes, it's frustrating to be, yet again, sidelined by the side effects of chemo.

Good news from yesterday's doctor's appointment.
The main oncologist I see was very pleased with my improved clinical response (blood counts nearing "normal") and my physical state (good mood and becoming more active). It must have been that spinach dip my sister made for Thanksgiving. I'd eat that all day if I could.

For the next three weeks I'm back on the bug juice. Carboplatin every Tuesday and VP 16 pills every night.

Check back daily to read my complaints about chemo and the side effects. How can you resist?

Tuesday, 11/30 -- Going for a heaping helping of Bug Juice.

Today I start my next round of chemo. I go into the doctor's office, get checked out to make sure I'm healthy enough to be poisoned, then I'm sent downstairs to the chemo suite.

In the chemo suite there are 50 or more reclining chairs set up and down a long narrow room. Each chair is set at a station that includes an IV pole, a cabinet, a privacy curtain and a trash/vomit can. The chairs face each other across the long, narrow room.

There's a main entrance at one end and a back door up at the far end. I have a usual chair I like to sit in up the far end. It's close to the bathroom and away from most of the chatty people. All the chatty people like sitting by the main entrance. I guess they're keeping track of everyone's comings and goings.

Most of these people are in their 60s and 70s. There are a few exceptions, but not many.

At the end of my first few visits I would leave by the main entrance. Thought nothing of it. After a couple of visits the head nurse suggested that I leave by the back door. It was the same distance to walk but it was less congested with patients and nurses.

This became part of my routine as the weeks passed. I thought nothing of it. Until...

One day as I was slipping out the back door, the head nurse, who I now consider a friend, was walking with me. Through conversation she told me why she originally asked me to use the back door. She said that when I would walk down the crowded chemo suite to get to the main entrance, I was having an effect on all the other patients. I was making everyone sad.

In her words, "It makes all the old ladies sad to see someone so young have cancer."
They had watched me leave.
They had talked to each other about me.
I was making them all sad.

I'm right there with you sisters.

I still leave via my escape route. It's part of my routine now. There's so much sadness in the chemo suite already. The mood in the air is that of a viewing. Most people are quite, somber and reflective as they get their poison juice. Every one of these people are fighting for their lives. I don't want to contribute to making these people sadder than they already are. I don't want to make someone's grandmother cry.

Sunday, 11/28 -- It's only stubble now, but it's a start.

I'm doing pretty well right now. I've been working around the house doing jobs that don't require heavy lifting: laundry, cooking dinner, stuff like that. It feels good to be more than a part of the couch. I was beginning to set down roots.

Lyn and I went for a short walk around the neighborhood this afternoon. Not very far, but it was plenty for me. I need to keep building my strength, so I have to find excuses to get up and move. Maybe with the weather turning so cold I can drive to the Springfield Mall and walk around there a few times.

If I did go to the mall, I'd have to steer clear of the food court. I find just looking at fast food revolting. Chick Filet, McDonaldz, Burger Kong, Pizza Hutt, Sbarro, Wendies and even my beloved Taco Belt. All of them sell garbage.

It's funny how disgustingly sweet soda now tastes to me now that I haven't had one in several months. I had a sip of Sprite the other day and I couldn't believe that I used to enjoy entire cans of that stuff without ever noticing the blast of sugar.

In other news
Hair. My hair. My hair is starting to grow again.
I've been mostly bald since July, thanks to the chemo. Not all chemo drugs make your hair fall out. The ones I was on did. But now that I'm on a different chemo dose with new drugs... my hair is starting to return.

I am still considering dying it platinum blonde once it's long enough.