First the good news

Got my CT scan results yesterday. They were so unremarkable that my oncologist just had one of his nurses call me and read the report. Nothing seen on the scan – official report from the radiologist “No apparent sign of recurrence”. Good news, though not unexpected. Next scan in 3-4 months depending on how many rounds of treatment I fit in between now and then. I’m off for 2 more weeks, and then have 2 treatments in late October/early November, before another 3 week break for more travel on my part. This brings us to Thanksgiving, so I’ll start up the first week of December. Based on what we are seeing from these last 3 doses, I think the maximum weeks I can tolerate are 3 before needing at least a week off. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. Apologies in advance for my whining in the next paragraph – but I can’t have you all thinking that this Erbitux stuff is a piece of cake (smile…I know you don’t)

When I have no side effects rather than crowing about this, I’ll just not say anything. It’s just better this way. Not that I believe I bring these things on myself, but after my comment last week about how good I was feeling, I was hit with some nasty pimples and rash on my eyelids. I have since lost most of my lower lashes again and was pretty uncomfortable all weekend, although they look and feel better today. Hot and cold compresses did nothing. Neither did antibiotic eye drops and ointments. I just had to wait it out. I actually had some problems getting my eyes to open and focus in the mornings – apparently these things get a little crusty overnight which makes it difficult to open in the morning. Then once they were open, they didn’t exactly focus immediately. At first I thought I forgot to put my glasses on, then I realized I had them on and still couldn’t see – momentary panic, and then things started to become clearer a little at a time. I’m hoping they get better and the pimples are gone by this weekend. My skin also dried out and so I was off to find yet another new moisturizer. I had a long conversation with a cosmetologist at a specialty shop and we found a new toner/moisturizer combo that I am trying. (Read: is working too, but I don’t want to actually admit this yet…)

I leave for Europe (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Portugal and Germany) on Saturday and will be gone for 10 days. Poor Pat will be sitting this trip out, though had we planned better he could have met me for a long weekend in Portugal. Next time – definitely!! I’m excited and nervous. It’s been over a year since I’ve attempted a trip like this – and hopefully will not be another year before the next one. I have a free hour here and there in each country, so I may have a chance to see something other than the inside of the hotel and the office, but that’s only if all of my flights are on time (ha!!). Assuming all goes well and the free (!!) broadband in my hotel in Estonia works, I’ll post from there next week. Otherwise this page will go blank and I’ll be back sometime during the week of October 24.