well, i guess i should start by catching up on what has happened so far. it has been about a week and a half since my first chemo treatment. i spent one night in the hospital and had two treatments of two different chemo drugs. when i came home from the hospital the hell began. the nausea and vomiting began to set in while i had no energy what-so-ever. my taste buds and sense of smell were all but destroyed along with my healthy appetite. the thought of eating was sickening. i found that i could only force feed myself a few things like diced peaches, applesauce, and some chicken noodle soup. after a few days my energy level started to rise and the sea-sick feelings gradually faded. by the end of week-one i was missing work and my friends pretty bad. the start of week-two brought more vomiting. just when i thought it was over... it makes a fierce comeback. i was determined to go to work, only if just for a few hours. i made it in for a few days and on wednesday i felt great. my appetite was back with a vengeance. after a week of drinking most of my food, i went overboard and ate too much spicy food. my stomach blew up from the garbage i fed it. thursday i was miserable. the home health nurse came to draw blood and test my white blood cell count. they told me that 10 days after my chemo treatment my count would be at its lowest. she called me later that day to confirm this and order me to stay confined to the house until at least monday! she said i was a sitting duck to sickness right now and i need to stay as far away from any germs as i can. i feel like i am under house arrest. the walls of my house slowly closing in....

i have had a decent day today. i have just been taking it easy cleaning out old email, watching tv, playing xbox, and working on my website. my appetite is not very active, but my energy level is not at an all-time low. i really felt like i could have gone to work today, but the nurse called again to check on me and said that i just can't afford to get out and risk exposure to germs. i feel like wearing a bio-suit and gas mask. at this point i would do that if the doctors told me it would make a big difference. i am at their mercy right now. speaking of doctors; i got a statement from the insurance company today stating that they did not intend to pay for the port-a-cath that i had put into a vein in my chest for chemo delivery. they claim it is not medically necessary. as far as i am concerned i really wasn't given any other options. all of the doctors i spoke with said it was by far the best method for chemo delivery. looks like i will be appealing this $1200 charge. i am not going to stress about something this small. i am beginning to feel a little hungry. i think i'll stop writing this blog for today and go try to round up some dinner.