Bring It On!: 21 Jump Street - I Got Dumb Again!

Well folks, Chemo #21 is behind me and I can't believe that #22 is just around the corner already. My side effects have been a bit better than last time, but that's not saying much. I have had a great deal of fatigue, lots of mouth sores that make eating anything quite agonizing and the neuropathy is back with a vengeance. It doesn't seem to matter how many times I gargle with salt water or mouthwash, how often or how many different canker sore treatments I apply - the sores don't seem to want to go away. My oncologist suggested that I may have thrush, so I started a prescription medication last night to see if that will work. The other thing is that the chemo brain seems to come and go. Today it came and my ability to form an intelligent sentence went. "I got dumb again" actually came out of my mouth when I couldn't come up with a word that was on the tip of my tongue. Tim howled. Are you shocked?

Chemo #21 was a busy one - I had a LOT of visitors. Thanks to Mar for driving me to the hospital and Sonya for buying me lunch and driving me home. It was nice to have Parch and Mar there at the same time, we three haven't hung out together in years. Kristie and Soph came for a visit, which was great because I don't get to see them nearly enough.

Parch and Marlys

Sophie was a hit with the nurses!

Kristie and I were so happy when Kelly (an old friend from school in Prince Albert whom I haven't seen in ten years) brought her daughter Elayna for a visit. Elayna is a very brave little girl who had just been diagnosed with leukemia and was in the hospital having treatments as well. I so wish our meeting had been the result of better circumstances, but the good news is that she was released last week and is now at home with her family.

Elayna, Kelly and Kris

This week was a very busy one - lots going on with prepping the yard for Hurricane Sandy, the kids and Halloween. Luckily we got very little of the bad weather that Sandy stirred up and Halloween was a success! Turns out Tim is a master pumpkin-carver....who knew?

Daddy and Avery scooping the goop...

Riley was a bit alarmed by the pumpkin when it was finished...

Tim - making the magic happen.

The finished product. And I take absolutely NO credit for it.

Below is a picture of the newest addition to my family. My niece Kiana gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl on October 30th at 2:01pm. Mom and baby went home today and are doing well.

Please meet Lexi Rae!

Halloween night was a busy one at our house. Poor Avery wasn't feeling very good, but she rallied long enough to get dressed up as a scary vampire and collect an entire bag of candy...