That Tingling Feeling

After weeks and weeks of digestive problems and losing weight, I loaded up on medications and finally the past three days have enjoyed normal digestion. The simplest things, things that a typical person would take for granted, can make you so ecstatic when you're dealing with something like cancer.

For the first time in months, I've actually gained weight - two-pounds over the past three days.

Experience has taught me that the typical medicine prescription is usually a little less than I need because of my size. I try to follow doctor's orders, but inevitably upping the amount of medicine I take a little bit always does the trick. It's not easy being a giant.

Stabilizing the digestive system and my weight has been priority one. And with that seemingly underway, I've begun focusing on the next assignment which is exercise and fitness. I started basic exercises (sit-ups, push-ups, deep knee bends, arm weights, etc.) this week. I have to go at it every other day because the exercises are leaving the muscles incredibly sore. No pity there though, that's good pain that adds up to progress.

Beyond fitness and nutrition there are only two small things that I continue to work to rehabilitate.

First the tumors in the brain, and then the radiation treatments themselves, caused different levels of brain swelling that left me feeling like I was in a bit of a fog. Since the radiation this feeling has continued to slowly improve, and I've continued to feel sharper and sharper. But there's is still occassionally some fogginess that I deal with, but it is so much better than it had been.

And lastly, over the past few weeks I have developed slight nerve tingling when I bend my neck down, my chin towards my chest. I don't completely understand this one but we'll be inquiring to the oncologist next week.

The tingles only last for a second. They originate in my neck and sometimes shoot down my arms, sometimes shoot down my torso, and sometimes shoot through to my legs. Sometimes the tingle is felt in all of those locations. Oddly enough, the tingling is most noticeable when I look down while eating.

There is no pain. The sensation always only lasts for a second. And sometimes when I look down I do not feel the sensation at all.

From what I understand there are so many possible causes of this that it could be difficult to trace. I've gone through so many little odd things like this though that it could just be another side effect that comes and goes.

We'll have lots of updates come next week. And hopefully we'll have all good reports and can ignore the cancer for awhile.

Then we can blog about Freckles instead.