Good News

It would be great if you could always assume that "no news is good news." I know it hasn't always been true here. But this time it's true! I've felt well since Friday, August 22nd. I was back to the doctor on Wed. the 20th to see how things were going without antibiotics. I had a low fever and Dr. Cole (NP Oncology) freaked out. He represcribed Augmentin (I love diarreah) and told me that if this fever went above 100.3 I was to report back to the hospital. He told me to say out of public, especially church where everyone seems determined to shake hands, hug or even kiss you. He forbade me to teach the nursery. He made sure I wasn't teaching school. He repeated earlier advice to use the housekeeping service, stock up on hand sanitizer and get plenty of rest. He was in a very strict mood (felt like a speech from my mother!) He told me that I needed to get a healthy respect for the seriousness of my condition. He said I need to let my body heal. I didn't think I was doing THAT bad, but by the time he finished speeching me, I felt like I'd been caught with my hand in the cookie jar! It just isn't that easy to heed all this counsel, especially when it feels so GOOD to feel a little better. Especially when other people are all busy contributing and I'm sitting here like a lump. I've tried to be better. But school started this past week. I was excited for and concerned about my permanent sub. I wanted her experience to begin well. I did spend some time with her, finalizing the room, answering questions, preparing a few things. Blake brought home my teaching files so I can clean and reorganize them. We cleaned our house so the housekeepers could come (haha--you know that's what YOU would have done too!) I tended grandkids a little bit, just so not to experience withdrawl. My fever danced up and down, just under 100 degrees all week. Dumb brat. Today, I'm finished with Augmentin. Chemotherapy #6 is Wednesday. I wait for that crazy fever to reappear. It better not! An ultrasound last Wednesday revealed that my previously 7 cm tumor is now just a web of dark spots. The largest one they could measure was 2.1X2.4 cm across. It looks nothing like the old image, which seemed like I'd swallowed a credit card. This was good news. Oh--chemotherapy also cures warts, in case you're having a problem with that.