My Wednesday with Jerry

Today, because it was a short Fludarabine day, I again found myself in Room 11 with its three chairs (no waiting). While there, I met a man named Jerry who made me appreciate once again how relatively good I have it.

By now, you may be a little tired of me saying how good I have it. Hear me out.

I was on the seventh floor for my half-hour of infusion. Jerry, who is dealing with colon cancer, is being treated with a cocktail that takes 46 hours to infuse. He has to have a medi-port, and has to carry around a pump and his drugs in a bag, which he slings over his shoulder and carries everywhere he goes for two days. He does this every other week.

As for side effects, he has a very interesting one. The drugs he's taking alter the neurology of his cold receptor cells so that anytime he touches something cold, it feels as if he is grabbing a hot stove. The body part that touched the cold thing is then numb for a period of time not less than 15 minutes and up to a couple of hours. He has to wear gloves to handle anything chilled, and cannot drink anything cold. He caught himself just in time the other day. He was holding a cold Coke in his gloved hand and was about to take a big sip, when it hit him: "Don't I have cold receptors in my mouth?!" He later asked a nurse what would have happened had he drunk the coke. She told him that it basically would have felt like he was chewing red hot glass. There is a possibilty that the condition could become permanent, even after he discontinues chemo.

So again, am I happy I have all this to deal with? Nope. Do I realize that, in so many ways, it could be a lot worse? Absolutely.

This evening, Robbie and I visited Calvin and Kathleen for a little while. I had a barely used pair of black dress shoes that I thought would fit their little guy, and also was looking for an excuse to visit friends and talk "adult". Thanks, Calvin and Kath.