Chemo Round 14

Today, I had my first encounter with my new chemo cocktail -- FOLFIRI -- and, by the looks of it, we're going to be great friends.

Chemo Day was awesome, as usual. I woke up not as amped as usual, but calm. Collected. Confident. This was one of those challenges that I knew I'd already dominate, so I didn't need to get quite as pumped up for it. I felt great walking into Norris for treatment again, like a true survivor and a veteran of stuff that would make most people shudder. I felt like a champion.

The treatment itself went quite well. I rested in bed (no Benadryl this time, so no nap), sent emails about the tournament, hung out with my three nurses, watched The Dog Whisperer (for Winston education) and Misery (because I can't get enough of scary movies, even the ones I've seen dozens of times). I must have gone to the bathroom for pee breaks about a dozen times. I heard my belly gurgling while getting my Avastin (probably my gut wondering what the heck was going on) and felt a little jumpy/dizzy when I got some pre-meds for my Irinotecan. I've gotta say, though, it was a great session. At the end of my treatment, I got some special visitors -- my friend from high school, Caitlin, and her dad, who is also a patient of Dr. Lenz. Chatting them up gave me just the energy I needed to power through the rest of the day which included -- you guessed it -- the gym.

I headed to Educogym around 6, and after tearing through parallel squats, leg extensions, thigh curls, seated calf raises, and walking lunges, I decided to go for the gold with the leg press. The leg press, for those of you who don't know or might have forgotten, is that exercise where you rest on your back and push up weight with your feet -- a great all-leg workout. As I approached the machine, I thought -- you know what? I'm going to show these silly straggler cancer cells something they'll never forget -- and I set the weight at 240 pounds. After 20 reps, I changed the weight...to 260 pounds. After busting out that set in no time flat, I finished strong with another 20 on 240. If these cancer cells were confused before (as in, "umm, are we the only ones here?"), now they are confused and terrified.

As is my routine on the first day of a new chemo cocktail, I ended the night with a fun adventure -- not a concert this time (although I still really, really love Mumford & Sons), but a Dodger game with Will, Timmy, and my friend Michelle. Dodgers lost but it didn't matter. Vegan hot dogs and spending quality time with some of my favorite folks made a perfect ending to my big, big day.

Despite the bag o' chemo that I'm now relaxing on the couch with, I've got to say it: life is great. Actually, it's better than great. It's perfect. It's just as it should be.