That's So Yesterday's News

The news from the check up with the Nurse Practitioner yesterday is that things are moving along well. I was curious as to why I continue to feel better rather than worse (I hear chemo drugs can have that effect on the body). She told me that Lymphoma patients come in feeling bad and the chemo helps them feel better as the process goes along. Patients with other forms of cancer tend to come in feeling good and the chemo wears them down. I find that interesting.

She also agreed it's OK to keep pushing to get back to "normal," but reminded me I am still receiving treatments and to listen to the body. When it gets tired, obey its requests and don't feel the need to apologize for it.

I asked her why I was able to feel the "rat/alien" in there more than I had felt it before. My theory was that since the bad fluid was out of the body and that the "rat/alien" is dying a slow death, it is resting against body parts that can feel it is there. The NP confirmed that I was correct (I'm getting good at this).

A very cool thing she did is that she made sure that I was in the game mentally. I asked her if she too had read last week's blog postings. She said she hadn't. I explained that sometimes things get under my skin (and went through the specifics with her). She confirmed that my reaction to them was correct, but then offered ways to deal with them that I had been using already (but not efficiently). She did say that my modified reaction is not to give permission, but to help cope. She also confirmed that if the things that get under my skin persist, I am permitted to address them, but not with a "nuclear" solution. Works for me.

The best part of yesterday....Having nurses and other caregivers in their practice say, "You look great, Greg!" They're good!