It has been a long time since my last post, and I have been doing very well. My neuropathy has not improved, but I have stopped taking Lyrica, and the pain in my feet has not returned. That is a good sign that the nerves may be able to repair themselves. My chemo brain effects my memory and concentration, and I am constantly having that feeling when you walk into a room and you don't remember why you are there. But, I am dealing with it pretty well. I finished another class, which was a difficult class, and managed to beat the class average on both tests and the overall grade. I am also doing very well in my new job at Williams. Oh, yeah, I never mentioned that. Adam Aircraft went out of business Feb. 11, 2008 and everyone was laid off. I spent about two months looking for a job and then was hired as a Facilities Engineer at Williams. I also worked for REI for a short period to make sure I was not without insurance for too long. Adam Aircraft is being restarted, and I was offered to return, but I can't afford the risk of losing my job and insurance again. I will stay with Williams.
Otherwise, things are progressing nicely. I visited my oncologist recently, and he is impressed with my progress. I have had a few scary instances where I have had labored breathing, and even wheezing, but Dr. Kenney is not concerned enough to run tests just yet. I will go in for my first 6 month post cancer PET scan in early July, and will inform Dr. Kenney if the breathing situation persists or gets worse. If needed, I will have some lung tests performed to see if I have sustained any lung damage due to chemo. I was actually more scared of a recurrence. I had a plural effusion as one of my early symptoms of Hodgkin's and I was afraid that it was returning. I used to be optimistic, but the first thing I thought of was cancer. Besides a recurrence or lung damage, it is spring time and the symptoms could simply be due to allergies or some sort of pulmonary virus or bacterial infection. However, I don't have a stuffy nose and I have not been sneezing.
Anyway that is all of the updates I can think of right now. I am posting a picture of my hair, which has made a full recovery. It is the same color it was before, but is softer. When it first grew in, it was sooo soft, like baby hair. It is slowly getting coarser, which actually makes it easier to comb. I will update again after my PET scan.
