video, chemo, upcoming stuff

Well, the PR people wanted to know if they could tape me dancing, so I set up something with Chad and they came and did video. It was a lot of fun :) and dancing requires enough concentration that I didn't much notice the camera. Once I finish treatments and get my body back in shape, I think I might take some dance lessons... maybe TJ will join me...

Tonight, Arizona Wind Symphony has a concert at the new Tempe Center for the Arts. It's a neat place, and I like playing there. The Banner video guy is coming to do more video.

Tomorrow is my LAST CHEMO!! The video guy is coming to do video of that, too (though he's not going to stay for the whole thing).

This seems like an awful lot of video for an internal newsletter, but whatever. It's turning into more of a little documentary. It's bordering on creepy. I will be interested to see what it looks like when it's done.

This morning, I went to have blood taken. While there, I asked the nurse a question about the anti-nausea pills they gave me last time (that didn't work at all). This is what I learned:

There are two different nausea receptors in our body. The IV stuff they give me floods one of those two, and works for about three days. The old prescription I have (compazine) works on the other receptors, but is mild. The new stuff they gave me last week works on the same receptors as the IV, which is why, when I took it on Friday, it didn't do anything.

She recommended that I take compazine starting right during/after chemo, then every six hours, whether I feel like I need it or not. It can be taken as often as every four hours, so if I'm feeling funky, I should move the dosages closer together. And now I know that the other stuff might work if I take it Sunday or Monday, if needed.

So, I have enough compazine left to take it every four hours for more days than I'm likely to need it. Here's to hoping it makes my last chemo weekend closer to the same as a not chemo weekend.

I have a PET scan scheduled for early Tuesday and an appointment with Dr. Radiology on Wednesday morning. I'm hoping the PET results are back in time for that appointment.

On that same Wednesday (a week from today), there is an art thing at the hospital for cancer patients, survivors, etc. I'm going to go over and paint after my doc's appointment. I am trying to think about how I would like to visually represent this journey, but so far, I got nothin'. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please leave a comment. Even if I don't use it, you never know what's going to trigger a new idea.

A week from Saturday is the No Mo Chemo party. (I'm making CDs to play - if you have suggestions/requests, let me know soon :) ) I am so happy to be ending this phase of treatment. I was talking this morning to a guy who I've seen regularly at the office. He's been coming 'round since December or January, and his conversation implied that he had radiation before that. I don't know what kind of cancer he has or if it's the first time he's had it, but I'm glad that I'm not coming up on a year of chemo...

(If you are a local, you should have received an Evite for the party. If not, e-mail me, and I'll send it to you.)