I gave myself a shot. It was pitiful. I would get the needle close to the spot and stop, wipe sweat from my brow and dry my palms, then repeat. After 10 minutes or so, I finally managed to plunge the needle into my skin and inject the blood thinner, which is what hurt the most. That stuff stings! It kept stinging for over 2 minutes, so as I knew, I am not good at giving shots. The nurses said they were proud of me, but I just thought, "Yeah, yeah, sure." Pitiful.

I might just make a t-shirt that says this...

I knew a couple people that got cancer and just refused treatment and died because they didn't want to go on. I am glad you still have a fight in you to keep moving forward. It helps other people just knowing you are alive.

Thank you very much; I appreciate it!

I finally caught a break today. They put me on blood thinner pills so I won't be giving myself those painful injections in my gut. I'd have ended up making an entire ring around my belly button with those shots. *shudder* And, I am back home getting ready to watch The Blacklist and then Vikings. Ahhh, I feel so much better now.

Awesome news LE. Oh and stay away from chainsaws and anything sharp while on the thinners!

Atta boy, Ed. Glad you're home. Enjoy your evening!!!

PS. You are The Man!!!

Pshaw. Any man who can grab a needle and push it into their gut is a MOTHER ****ING BEAST.

I'm a 40 year old man who's had about 100 stitches in my right arm, open heart surgery, and a pacemaker and there's not a cold chance in hell I'm sticking myself with a needle. Shit, I can't even look at them when they stick me or take blood.

Glad you're on the pills man.

Needles aren't so bad. I used to give myself allergy injections. I got decent at it. In fact, As long as it isn't a vein, I'd rather do it than some jackass nurse.

Believe me, I am no iron man! I was sweating and my feet were twitching. I told the nurses, "See, I'm trying to run away!"

You're enduring more than most here could handle, there are no fancy words left at my disposal... just keep fighting like hell.

God is keeping you around for a damn good reason, pass the test.

But, the firewood doesn't saw itself!

And you, my good friend, are a big part of why I am still here fighting away.

I am of the belief that if you fight something like this it helps heal or inspire people in ways you can't really tell. You never know who you inspire or help by just being alive.

Cancer is the worst, but it brings out the best in people

You might not say that if you visited my bathroom! :)

Lol, keep kicking ass Ed.

Keep fighting, Ed!

I am at the cancer center for my treatment. I looked at the nurses who jab the needle in my chest and do the blood draws and all had green on. Damn, I was looking forward to some payback! We all had a good laugh over that. My vitals are good this morning and I am waiting to meet with the main nurse, then I will head upstairs and wait in the lobby of the treatment area. With a little luck, nurse Amanda will take care of me today. No Guinness tonight since I will have chemo stuff in me, but I made a nice pot of oxtail stew yesterday, so I can participate in the holiday a bit. Happy St. Patrick's to ye all, ye dirty wee bastards!

Sounds great, Ed. Keep at it.

My doc fussed me good today for using the chainsaw. Well, you all told me to resume normal activities... She asked why I was sawing up firewood since it isn't cold out anymore. Well, the green stuff needs to be cut up and put in the barn to cure for next season, and I like to have the dried stuff ready before it gets cold out. City folk, they just don't understand. I was careful with the chainsaw BEFORE I ever got on blood thinners. I'd bleed like hell with or without them if I hacked into myself with a chainsaw. Firewood doesn't saw itself!

Tell your doc to shove it, Ed! Get that firewood cut! You'll need it when it gets cold again next year!

She told me about another patient who went hunting and the recoil from his rifle or shotgun caused a massive bruise and internal bleeding into his arm. He must not have been a good hunter or didn't have a good recoil pad. I think I am in more danger chopping veggies for dinner than using the chainsaw, but my doctor was insisting I not touch the thing again.

I get my pump taken off today so that is a good thing, anyhow. Now if the mechanics would get on the ball and fix my car. I've got a rental until tomorrow.

The night before last, I slept better than I have in a long time without the lower intestinal pressure I've had to deal with. Tonight, it was back. I couldn't sleep due to the discomfort and finally at 4:30 am, it has let up some and I might be able to get some sleep now. Sometimes, this cancer crap really pisses me off! :mad:

Ed, hopefully, you're fast asleep right now and will wake up feeling like chainsawing everything/everybody......oops, make that everything. Hang in there buddy!!!

I woke up a bit after 9:45 am since I was hungry. I am going to attempt to transplant two cedar saplings now. It's nice out, though cool, but I like it that way and I want some fresh air, too. I am sure a nap will be in order once I am done with the transplanting. Normally, I'd have dug the holes and placed the trees in them on the same day, but things are far from normal for me now.

Another treatment day is here. I have 3 more including today before my trip. I hope I survive long enough! It's been rough lately with the chemo.

I know you don't want sympathy so I won't load you up on any. That being said, you're a mother ****ing survivor so survive like survivors do.

I know it's rough and my prayers are with you.

I like sympathy if it's coming from a hot woman! That is a rare occurance, however. Thanks for your support; it really does help.

Hang in there, mang; you're coming around the bend.

Sucks man. Here's to hoping your symptoms lighten up some.

Have you talked to the doctor about the sleeping? My mom got some sleeping pills that she says don't make her groggy. I know nothing about them and it may be a completely different mechanism that she needs to sleep, but it might be good to ask about.

You can always take a Benedryll. I'm convinced they don't do a damn thing for allergies, you just sleep through them, no matter what time of day it is.

They didn't say much about my trouble sleeping, but if I can get the tongue ulcers to go the hell away, that will be huge. My doc is concerned about my blood clots so she was saying I needed to go to the shots and not pills. I started to sweat just discussing it so she took pity on me for now. Also, she wanted to put me on chemo pills that I'd take with me to Denmark, and I'd have to take 2 per day for 14 days, then 7 days off, and back to the 2 a days. I asked if I could drink beer and I got a resounding NO. What?! Being in Denmark for 6 weeks and not being able to drink my favorite beers would be like moving me into a steak house and telling me I can't eat beef. The chemo pill plan has been scrapped since my doc knows I won't forgo the brews. Now if I can stay off the damned shots, too, then I will be happy.

That would be pretty tough to go there and not have beers.

For me, it would be pure torture! Carlsberg makes my favorite beer of all time, the magnificent Jacobsen Brown Ale brewed with 6 different malts. It is the beer that I welcome myself back to the country with. I hold it up to my nose, close my eyes, and just breathe in the aroma for 10 or 15 seconds before taking a drink of it, and then I say, "I'm back!" There is another one called Vienna Beer and it is like smooth melted caramel with no bitterness at all, just wonderful malt body. There is a host of other brews I enjoy, as well, but the two I described are tops in my book.

Ed, how ya doing brother? I know the side effects aren't fun to deal with, and that can kick your morale in the nuts a bit. Keep fighting, though!

Numbers looking alright? Scans okay?

The chemo has been rough, but today I actually feel strong although a nice 5 hour nap would be great. My blood test results came in and I have some high and low numbers, and the one that concerns me most is my platelet count, but it has come up 15 points yet it is still a bit low. My red cell count is low now, so I need somethig beefy to eat. I'm just waiting on my chemo bags in the treatment room. I went to find Nurse Amanda since I was bored. She lightened her hair color for the summer and it looks great. She is soooo cute! If I was 20 years younger, I'd make a fool of myself around her for sure.

ROFL

Is the blood thinner affecting your platelet count? I know an awful lot about wheat and corn physiology, but human physiology escapes me.

My platelets have been low for the past several treatments so it isn't the blood thinners. With 2 and 3 types of chemo, all sorts of stuff is going on that I don't the what fors about.

Hope you're feeling better than the last time we talked and are getting plenty of sound sleep... I'd still be giving them hell about something strong for pain, though.

Tylenol is what I was told to take. I looked for Tylenol PM at the Price Chopper, but they had the standard type only. Dammit. And I don't know what good Tylenol would do for my feet, which are killing me. The soles got red and hot and it hurt to walk yesterday and this morning. They are finally starting to feel a bit better, since I've been putting skin lotion on them often.

Tylenol PM is Tylenol and benedryll FWIW.

Ed you should get one of those foot bath massager things.

Let's the dogs rest

I don't know if that would help or not. It's a chemo thing that finally got me, like those accursed tongue ulcers. They are getting better, too, but not fast enough! I'm going for barbecue for dinner, so I will have to walk some and eat, so I am in for some discomfort, but barbecue is worth it.

You damn right its worth it.

You might try soaking them in epsom salt.

That's good for hemmaroods, too, isn't it?

Fortunately I do not know. :)

Consider that a great blessing!

Great news, hope everything keeps getting better.

I have another CT scan coming up so I will have to down two big barium infused vanilla-ish crap again. I just hope I don't have to go to the hospital again like I did after the last one since they discovered blood clots in my vena cava and a lung. I hope the blood thinner pills are working so I don't have to take the painful shots in the gut. I hate needles.

One deeeeeeelicious barium vanilla down, one to go... 450 ml each. Yum. :(

Q: What do you do with a dead chemist?

A: Barium.

Ed, I'm guessing you've learned more about the human body than you ever wanted know throughout this, yes?

I'm getting old and can't remember as much as I used to, but I stay in this thread to see how you are doing and to remind myself to throw some prayer your way. Hope it helps.

You are right. The aftermath of the CT scan is the worst. That barium gunk affects me like a super-duper laxative. Anyone out there facing a Ct scan for the first time, take my advice: About 3 hours after the scan, stay VERY close to the bathroom and make sure you drink lots of water. After 9 bouts of the power squirts in less than one hour, I think the storm has passed. Whew.

Power Squirts. ROFL

My uncle says the same thing about the laxative they give you before a colonoscopy. Tastes like gatorade. Pretty much runs right through.

Oh, that was a horrendous experience, too! By the middle of it all, the softest toilet paper felt like low grade sand paper. Fun, fun... :doh!:

Shit gets raw, you need to have baby wipes on hand. Baby wipes are a godsend.

I have gone through a package already! Er, not in one day, though.

I just got a call from Social Security, and it was a good call. I got a letter more than a week ago saying I was denied since I told them I didn't want to file for disability. Ummm... right... so I just sent all the forms in for giggles?? Anyhow, I have been approved and will be receiving disability soon, not sure how much yet but a letter on the way will 'splain it all. I used to work and pay taxes before cancer laid a massive pimp slap on my life and turned it all upside down, so I don't feel too bad about getting disability now. I won't bitch if it is not enough that I can't afford filet mignon and King crab every weekend.

Glad your recovery is going well. Someone up there likes you very much. And by that I mean the horny racoon that's burrowing in your ceiling.

There was a very large mouse up there a couple of months back, but the bastard made enough racket that he could have been a raccoon for all I knew. I since dispatched the rodent with some poison and saw him sitting by my door. My wooden katana solved the problem for me nicely. WHACK!!

I officially recruit you to the mice mafia with that hit.

He wasn't feeling so good having eaten poison, just sitting there rubbing his face. I walked up with the sword and hit him in the head, flipping him up in the air like a pancake! I've dispatched a few rodents with that sword now, 4 or 5 I think.

I am about to go in for treatment, first stop nurses chair for the dreaded needle in the chest port at 10 am. If things go my way, this will be my second to last treatment before I head to Denmark for a MUCH needed break from all of this cancer crap. I need to get my heart back together over there and recharge my spirit.

Dude, you shouldn't even have to put a disclaimer on there that you don't feel bad for taking Disability. That's why it's there. It's there for guys like you that need it, not scumbags that rob the system. Focus on getting better and getting back to those strange European lands you love so much. :p

In all seriousness, we are thinking of ya every day. Cheers friend!

Thank you very much! I am waitiing in the hall outside the room where I will get needle jabbed and my blood drawn. It's packed in there and there is haradly a seat to be had in the hall. It's going to be a long, slow day I am afraid...

I am elated over the great news I got today! My CEA is down to 4.0! People without colon cancer have a CEA of 3.0 or less. Mine was 88.5 in September. Also, the doc and I talked about my trip and she is happy and jealous about it. I thanked her for taking such good care of me so I can go and I hugged her tight.

HELL YES!

Keep on fighting the good fight!

:clap::clap::thumb:

Don't feel bad about it. I'm getting it, too. We're entitled to it, we earned it.

I do hope to be working in a year.

I pray you are able to as well. I hope your recovery is going well.

Great news, Ed......keep on keepin' on!!!

That is awesome, Ed. Just keep at it, you're gonna' beat this bitch like a rented mule.

thank god for social security! /liberals like me...

congratulations on not having to go through a hearing...

the benefit amount is the same as your full age retirement amount, if you have noticed what that is...

Wow! I just got GREAT news in an email! I am RICH! A relative of mine left me nearly 10 million dollars and it's in the Republic of Togo. All I have to do is contact the lawyer that sent me the email and give him my bank account number! He'll put 100k in there for now to start the transfer process. Thank you, D. E. Spohn, whoever you were.

:rolleyes:

LMAO

I hate those.

I wish there was a way to send him an email that turns his hard drive to molten slag.

Good news on the test results! Keep after it, and keep yourself healthy mind soul and body.

That name doesn't sound very togo-ish.

Good job to both of you guys!

Fantastic updates Ed. Glad you're kicking cancer's ass.