One Little Pill

It's amazing to me the difference one little pill can make. I mean it can change everything.

Decadron is a tiny little pill. While taking it, I had good energy, a great appetite, I gained weight. That one little pill made me feel great.

Now that I've stopped taking Decadron, a steroid, I'm back to all the old chemo side-effects, fatique, no appetite, dropping weight, and generally feeling sick all the time.

So why stop taking Decadron? Well apparently Decadron negates some of the chemo medication's effects. It's the constant irony, the constant balancing act of cancer treatment.

For all the research I've done through these past couple years, and through all I've personally experienced, I'm probably well on my way to the equivalent of a medical degree. My Mom always wanted me to become a doctor.

Once I was interacting with a tech while prepping for a CT scan and she asked me, "Are you a doctor?"

I laughed and answered, "No. I have cancer."

She understood.

Medicine is all about chemistry, body chemistry balanced and altered with other drugs.

My general rule of thumb has become - the less drugs the better. When I first started out with treatments I was anxious and eager to take anything that would help relieve anything. But over time I learned that every pill seems to ease one thing and create another. So it just seems like an endless cycle.

It just seems like an endless chemistry experiment.

On other notes...

We had a vicious storm move through Marietta last night. It brought with it the largest hail I've every seen, nearing golf ball size. I was genuinely worried that one of our three skylights might be damaged the way it was bouncing off the glass. But it looks like we made it through without damage.

I'll be going up today to visit my Dad at the Hershey Medical Center. He's got a long recovery ahead. This is going to take a lot of time, and a lot of patience on everyone's account, including his.

My Mom caught a glimpse of his full bruise yesterday, and she was surprised that it ran from his shoulder to his knee. He banged himself up real good.

I'll try to gather as much information on my Dad's situation today, and learn as much as I can.