Thank you!

So many people wore blue today, it's just so awesome! Thank you, friends and family, for helping spread awareness of colorectal cancer. I hope we helped at least one person today.

I've entered the No Appetite phase of chemo. It's so weird to go from eating everything in sight to nothing looking good to eat at all. Part of it maybe has to do with my guts being so slow. I found some ginger candy at the Free Market today, so I've been eating pieces of that when I get a bad taste in my mouth. It's much more pleasant than peppermint, which is what I tried last time. Oh and I know the cold sensitivity is affecting my appetite too, at least in terms of smoothies. Do you know how fun it is to drink a warm smoothie? Not very. It's actually kind of gross, so I might lay off the smoothies until the cold sensitivity is gone.

My dressing change went about the same. I had a different nurse who hasn't changed the dressing in a week or so, and she remarked on how much less white foam was used than what she remembered using. She said the tissue looks good all the way around the walls of the wound, so that's positive. I did learn that it's not uncommon for this wound to take a year or more to completely heal closed. I won't have the vac that long, I'll only have it until the wound is too small for the vac. But a year?? That sucks. I so want to leave all this behind, to get on with life without wounds and chemo and everything. I'm anxious to get my sewing machine out and start Reese's summer wardrobe. I hope to start my gardens up once the weather is warmer. I'd like to comfortably take walks with my kids. This whole thing really puts a damper on my life.

Despite everything, I'm keepin' on keepin' on. I have to. I'm thinking about school-y things I can do with Reese and Eli. I'm thinking about how I can get them outside without doing too much walking. I'm taking over more and more of the house care, at least doing what I can. I try to think of this as a short blip in my life, that it will be over and we'll all move on with our new normal. I think there are big changes ahead, and I'm excited for that.