I'm co-opting this blog to be my voice in communicating with friends and family about my health. If you want to see my suggestions for contacting me without causing me stress or adding to an already emotional roller coaster, see this page. To start at the beginning, see https://marybirds.blogspot.com/2019/03/testing-testing.html
______________________________________________________________
I'm starting to get the cycle figured out, with more energy at the end (and oddly, the beginning) of the chemo cycle. I was able to guide every day on the Weslaco Spring Chirp Birding Festival by assigning myself the easiest trips in terms of walking. It's good to be the queen! I also leaned on my co-leaders for extra help, so thanks to them I got through it - three straight long days - without getting over-tired. I even walked a mile and a half the day after the Spring Chirp between a little light birding and some overdue grocery shopping.
It was great to get out on Scarlet's boat two days (dolphins under the boat, pink Franklin's Gulls, Mangrove Warbler), and then visit the King Ranch with Jim Sinclair. We started the day with a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl near the gate, and then we got to go birding. A Tropical Parula put on a great show while the Northern Beardless Tyrannulets were less confiding. We ended the day with some migrant shorebirds on a playa or seasonal wetland. It was awesome!
I've remembered to get some Pepcid for the after-chemo acid attacks, and I don't need to buy any more comfort food since I didn't use much last month. I'm not looking forward to another couple days running to the doctors office for preliminary blood tests and another day sitting around all day hooked to an IV, but I want to get this whole treatment thing behind me. Soon.
My surgeon (Dr #6) called it when she said I was so sick from the cancer that the chemo might make me feel better. She didn't over sell that, but I have to say I'm feeling good - no nausea, vomiting, afternoon fever, or any of the other things plaguing me the last two years. I'm still sensitive to heat and humidity, and had one day I couldn't even walk a little without getting overheated. Yesterday doing my bird survey at the National Butterfly Center I felt like I could run ... that's new.
Bring it on! Chemo #3 this week.
