1 down, 111 days to go

So far so good on the chemo front except for a headache. Now that all the mood enhancers are out of my system, I read all the side effects of all the extra drugs they gave me. The headaches could be caused by the steroid, which was given to me to stop any allergic reaction to Adriamycin and it might help with nausea. The oncologist said I could skip it if nausea wasn't a problem. It also causes me to swell up and overstimulate my appetite. Both effects I can live without. The compazine seems like I will be able to leave too. I am keeping the Prilosec (heart-burn and nausea reducer), the Emend ($150/pill -which reduces nausea after the 2nd day), and later, the Neulasta which Steve will give me this afternoon in the stomach with its very long needle. He had to make numerous phone calls to get it.

Even though I get lots of positive e-mails, I almost hate to open up my mail program as this is how I receive negative news about Naomi. It was full of it yesterday. Why can't this girl give me a break? I certainly wasn't in the mood to deal with all her shenanigans yesterday. Basically she has been lying to me about this 'travel pass' she needs to bring to teachers where they write if she is missing assignments and turn it into her special ed teacher. Of course it didn't help much that I wasn't made aware of this until yesterday when I could least deal with it. Her 1st marking period grades weren't bad-only one art class was she missing assignments but that continues to be bad and now she is screwing up math too. Basically no one at school knows I have cancer except her English teacher because she wrote something in it in some journal she keeps for him but I finally told this special ed person that she needs to tell me the first sign of trouble as I don't have the energy to keep e-mailing teachers about her progress due to being on chemo. I found Naomi crying the other night about this boy as he was mad at her for her asking him to drive a basketball teammate around too when he thought he was going to get some alone time with her. (Too bad) She claims to be madly in love with him and he has asked her to move in with her when she's graduated (thus her sudden interest in cooking). He no longer has plans to join the military (damn-this has ended some of her other relationships).I said I need to meet Dante this weekend and she agreed. God know what I am going to say to him but at least I will get a feeling for what he is like. He is a 19 year old student at WCC and allegedly is smart. There are 9 or 10 kids in his family.
So far, I don't seem to be real tired. I was drowsy yesterday but I had a lot more drugs in my system. Once this ice melts, I might go for a mini-run. Steve is now running indoors. I did read a book that I got from the cancer center yesterday "Cancer Etiquette" which is a rehash on unwanted cancer advice. The usual culprits:

It could be worse.
God is looking out for you (did He notice all the kids in their infusion room yesterday?)
Things will be fine
What will be, will be.
You must have got it because.. (fill her any bad habit here)
Well your bad news certainly put a damper on our moods here
Hospice was so good to my mother (this is right after the diagnosis)

My favorite was a woman who sent a get well card and wrote "Good-bye"

But she did spend a lot of time remembering the caretakers who now have to put up with a lot more and have all the anxiety of losing their loved ones. So for those of you who read this who are primarily Steve supporters, please remember what he is going through.