Miss Independent Resurfacing

Accomplishments since Chemo Day One, one week ago today: 

• I can eat grown-up food. It no longer has to be mashed and pureed like for newborns and old people.
  
• Not only can I eat it, but when I do, it comes back out, on an increasingly more normal basis. 
  
• I am no longer a wuss about taking pills. I used to have to hide in a corner and down an entire glass of water with each, most of the time choking them back up. Maybe I'll be swallowing raw by the time this is all over. I should invest in one of those cool Monday-Friday pill holders. 
• My sleep schedule is moving back toward human from vampire time tables.
• I walked one mile with my brother, Craig and Sammy to let Sammy swim in the river at the park. It was a very, very slow walk but I did it. Couldn't make it back though, even after some rest on the river bank. Sat on a gate at the park while the boys walked back and my brother came to pick me up in the air conditioned car to chauffeur me back home. But again, I did it.  
• My mouth is no longer a fortress of sores, burns, pulsing gums and achy teeth. I can not only drink water, but also pomegranate juice and ginger ale. However, I am still sticking with the baby soft bristle tooth brush to stay on the safe side. 
• I drove myself to the cancer center today. First time behind the wheel since my biopsy. I did not crash, pass out or back into anything. This is good. I walked in by myself and out by myself and felt strong. Granted it was only for a finger prick to test my levels but it was a big accomplishment. 
• I am learning to listen to and understand my body. Not that the signs are very subtle, but I used to push through things probably more than I should have. Now when I am tired, I nap. When I am hungry, I eat. When I am thirsty, I drink. When I feel fevery I take Tylenol, a cold compress and go to bed. Brain and body are starting to get in sync. 
• The thumbs up/thumbs down scale that Craig and I have been using to gauge my state of being at any moment has been warranting more ups than downs. 

I'm not naive enough to think that I'm 100% better, but comparatively, each day feels like a massive improvement from the one before. I still have nightly fevers and sweats, fatigue and chest pain but that's NOTHING compared to what I felt earlier this week. Right after the chemo I took things minute by minute, then hour by hour, now it's day by day and that's a good thing. Now I'm focused on building my body to peak shape for it to get whopped with the next dose 12 days from today. That ABVD don't know what it's in for.