"33 and Nearly Cancer-Free"

Another year older, not really any wiser ... just older. It was my 33rd Birthday yesterday and sometimes birthdays wig me out. I had no emotional reaction to this one. The only way I really reflected on it was ... by this time next year I won't have cancer any more. They say it's good to have goals. "Thirty-four and on the Dance Floor" will be my mantra for next year!

Needless to say, many of you - "the village" of people who have been so supportive while I've been sick - sent great birthday wishes! I'm so thankful for the fun and the laughs. I smiled a ton over the weekend enjoying so much birthday cheer. Here's just one example. Chris' awesome Physician Assistant and our friend, Jess, sent this card:

It reads: "A cosmo doesn't blend so well with birthday cake, so the cake may have to go."
I mean, c'mon people, did they make this card just for me?!? Can't you hear my saying that in your head?? "Sooooo ... the cake may have to go."

I'm feeling good (well, for the English sticklers.) It's easy to forget that I just started brand new drugs on Wednesday. In my mind, I treat all this as one big blog of chemo. But there are differences between each drug and I'm interested to see if anything funny starts to crop up because of these. We were with several friends this weekend and I had terrible gas. There's nothing like trying to hold it in all day while you're with friends you love enough not to smoke them out of the house. So I declared after a few hours, "I have terrible gas, it's probably the chemo. I apologize in advance." Someone else said, "I too have terrible gas, it's probably from the beans I ate." I was happy to know we were all on a level playing field.

My mouth hurts. Mommy said it's as if Methotrexate is getting one last stab at making my life miserable before it is gone for good. Methotrexate was the chemo drug that caused the 2 day hospital admission and mucusitis. We've stopped using it now. Although, I've been mostly spared of bad mouth infections, my tongue and inside the sides of my cheeks are killing me right now. Plus, last night swallowing felt like forcing glass shards down my esophagus. After 12 straight hours of sleep, I woke up a happier girl. When in doubt, take a nap. Those are my parting words of wisdom as a newly minted 33 year old.