This update is long overdue. I've been mulling over what I could say that might be new and interesting. And came to the conclusion that the past six months have been kind of a wordless grey area.
To be honest, it's been a long slow slog through unchartered waters.
I did have the immunoglobulin IV's the end of January and end of February. Those got me over the viral hump that I was having trouble getting over in December and January, but left me more drained in their wake. Just one more thing layered on top of the one-year recovery from chemo.
So what's it like to recover from chemo? Well, there are lots of little issues that hang around -- things that I can put my finger on like the ever-present fatigue of course, constant sinus infections, muscle spasms, digestive difficulties, intermittent body aching, and so many shingles outbreaks that I may have cornered the market on Acyclovir (the anti-viral medication for the shingles/herpes virus).
Then there are the "un-nameable" side effects from chemo. Like the disturbing ease with which I pick up colds and flus. I asked my oncologist the other day why I still get sick so easily, even with my lymphocytes (white blood cells) now almost 90% of normal and he said, "Because you had chemo." Hey, chemotherapy is toxic to the cells (some cells more than others) so it makes sense that some residue of effects would remain. Effects that can't really be tested for.
In the scheme of things though, I think I'm doing really well. Best of all, I'm still in full remission. I'm not always known for being "normal" but in this case, I'm pretty happy to have normal lymph nodes. Yes, quite happy!
Being in remission is not the same as being "cured" however. I still have follicular lymphoma and always will have, the rest of this life. The goal is to get in remission, and Universal Forces Willing, even stay in remission.
And how will I stay in remission, I ask myself. Will it just be luck? Many medical professionals think that getting cancer is a matter of bad luck so it stands to reason that staying in remission might be a result of "good luck". Don't get me wrong -- I don't mind having some good luck, not at all.
Or will all my current efforts at continuing to improve my health (like with a super-duper diet, juicing, detoxing, supplements, body movement, meditation, and....) help me hit the jackpot of continual ever-lasting remission?
If any of you have any comments on these ruminations, I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, look for upcoming posts on:
Stay Tuned.
--Adele Sonora
asonora@cal.net
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| One of the few watercolors I've finished lately. Part of a series of sacred structures. |
I did have the immunoglobulin IV's the end of January and end of February. Those got me over the viral hump that I was having trouble getting over in December and January, but left me more drained in their wake. Just one more thing layered on top of the one-year recovery from chemo.
So what's it like to recover from chemo? Well, there are lots of little issues that hang around -- things that I can put my finger on like the ever-present fatigue of course, constant sinus infections, muscle spasms, digestive difficulties, intermittent body aching, and so many shingles outbreaks that I may have cornered the market on Acyclovir (the anti-viral medication for the shingles/herpes virus).
Then there are the "un-nameable" side effects from chemo. Like the disturbing ease with which I pick up colds and flus. I asked my oncologist the other day why I still get sick so easily, even with my lymphocytes (white blood cells) now almost 90% of normal and he said, "Because you had chemo." Hey, chemotherapy is toxic to the cells (some cells more than others) so it makes sense that some residue of effects would remain. Effects that can't really be tested for.
In the scheme of things though, I think I'm doing really well. Best of all, I'm still in full remission. I'm not always known for being "normal" but in this case, I'm pretty happy to have normal lymph nodes. Yes, quite happy!
Being in remission is not the same as being "cured" however. I still have follicular lymphoma and always will have, the rest of this life. The goal is to get in remission, and Universal Forces Willing, even stay in remission.
And how will I stay in remission, I ask myself. Will it just be luck? Many medical professionals think that getting cancer is a matter of bad luck so it stands to reason that staying in remission might be a result of "good luck". Don't get me wrong -- I don't mind having some good luck, not at all.
Or will all my current efforts at continuing to improve my health (like with a super-duper diet, juicing, detoxing, supplements, body movement, meditation, and....) help me hit the jackpot of continual ever-lasting remission?
If any of you have any comments on these ruminations, I'd love to hear them. In the meantime, look for upcoming posts on:
- My Healing Regimen
- How I Did So Well During Chemo
- Was it Bad Luck or The Perfect Storm?
Stay Tuned.
--Adele Sonora
asonora@cal.net
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