5 To Go!

I was informed by a friend that now that I have made it over the hump I can start counting down! I really like that idea. Just five rounds left to go! Today's session went pretty well. The saline they give me to flush my port before and after they use it is becoming really hard to take (I am one lucky girl considering this has been my only real problem). It makes me feel really really queasy, but we have a couple of ideas of how to fix that. Saline is the stuff I talked about before that I can actually taste in my mouth when they give it to me. I was using lifesavers to mask its taste, but have since developed a hate for lifesavers. They remind me too much of the saliene now and I can't stand the them anymore. So, instead of hard candy I am going to try eating something salty. Saline's flavor is pretty salty anyway so we we are hoping eating chips or crackers will mask the taste better.
Because I have reached my half way Dr. Bhalla wants me to repeat all of the tests I did before I started chemo. So I imagine in the next two weeks I will be getting that taking care of. One of the tests I will be doing is a pulmonary function test. Oh man, I have to be honest, out of all the tests I have had to have done, this is the one that I disliked the most. Basically what they do is have me sit in this dome thing and breath in to a tube in different rhythms and patterns. It doesn't sound so bad, and really it isn't. Its the fact that you have to do this for over an hour that makes it so awful. Last time I got so tired that even in the end when they gave me medication (the same type of stuff that treats asthma) to see if it would improve my scores (if it doesn't help your scores they should at least be about the same), but mine ended up being even worse. I am hoping, however that now that I have had some of my chemo treatments, the coughing has stopped, and I am not fresh off of a lung procedure that the test will be way easier for me. I also will be doing a PET scan. I think PET scans are probably the most informative tests I have done. Its actually kind of cool. The day before I can't eat any carbs or sugars and the day of I can't eat or drink anything at all in an effort to get my blood sugar really low. Then, they inject some sort of radiation substance stuff into me and I have to wait 45 minutes. I am not really allowed to anything (and that includes talking) just to make sure that I don't throw off the test. When the 45 minutes are up I am placed in a tube and they complete the scan. The cancerous cells absorb the sugar that was in the stuff they gave me and glow in the pictures they take, so they are able to quickly identify where the cancer is located. It will be really fun to get this back! I can't wait to know the results! I'll let you know as soon as I do.
I would once again like to thank everyone for their comments and their support, as well. They really do mean so much to me. It's hard to think of myself as brave,inspirational, or admirable. I guess when you're in the midst of one of your greatest challenges all your concentration is stuck on pushing forward, staying positive, and getting through and its hard to see anything else, but just hearing that I am able, through my story, help someone else with their own struggles lifts my spirits and gives me strength. Afterall, thats why we are all here isn't it, to help and serve one another along our journey. Love you all and I will talk to you soon!

Kenna :)