Amazing Progress

The amount of progress that I am making is truly miraculous; I am amazed at how good the Lord has been throughout this whole ordeal. My blood counts are returning much faster than normal, and some counts are even on par with a normal, healthy person. I was told that I would be on steroids for the better part of a year, but they are tapering me off this week. The taper is slow, but to already be getting weaned off of steroids is a big deal. Trust me when I say that these are not the kind of steroids that pump you up and give you energy. Instead, they completely zap my will to move, and I get the most bizarre side effects. Finally, they are already discussing giving me a day off from my doctor's visits this week.

I cannot reiterate how thankful I am for this progress. Just a little over two weeks ago, I was not planning on survival. Life can certainly go through some very dramatic changes over a very short period. Although the doctors and medicine can be seen as the instrument, Christ was the inspiration that ultimately pulled me this far. He really has effectuated a positive change throughout all of this, and I could never imagine returning to the state of mind that I possessed before cancer.

Interesting side effects or reactions:
1. When I was admitted, I was pumped so full of fluids that my body weight rose from 194 to 207 in a matter of 2 days. Then, when I was taken off the fluids, I drop 16 pounds in one day. Now, I am still getting rid of a lot of the retained fluids such that I can eat as much ice cream, pizza, or whatever and still lose 2 pounds a day. I'm at 173 pounds right now. Because of the fact that my body is like an accordion, people ask what I do about clothes. I really don't concern myself with fashion and just wear sweat pants and sweat shirts during this ordeal.
2. Being in the state of WA for the summer is perfect for this recovery. The sun can trigger my graft versus host disease (GVHD). For the next year, I will have to either avoid the sun, wear long clothing, or use copious amounts of sunscreen.
3. Steroids: Wow! These things are no joke. I take them twice a day to prevent a recurrence of GVHD. Almost one hour after taking the steroids, I feel like complete garbage. I end up lying in bed, watching tv, or playing a video game for the next two hours. These steroids do not pump you up or make you feel invincible by any means. Instead, I get agitated, severe headaches, lethargic, and my body temperature races between hot and cold. I cannot wait to get off this medication. The fact that I am being weaned off now is very uplifting.
4. Chemo brain: I have major issues focusing or studying for any longer than 45 minutes to an hour. Also, I don't retain much of the information. Doctors refer to this reaction as chemo brain. I have experienced this in the past; the only thing that I can do is continue to push myself mentally and hope for a speedy recovery.
5. Eating is a major chore. My taste buds are still recovering and my GI tract went through a very rough period. About a week ago I was able to start eating again, but there is no pleasure in it. Above I mentioned that certain foods do seem to have retained their taste: ice cream, pizza, yogurt, eggs, and some others. The problem is that the steroid put me at risk for diabetes and my blood sugar is elevated. Eating too much of the wrong stuff could have reactions later.
Today I went to the Korean market with my wife after my doctor's appointment. I am now staring at a plate of food that I normally would have been thrilled to eat. As it stands, I have barely eaten half, and I think I am going to call it.

While there are other interesting side effects that might not be the best topic for discussion, I am improving daily. The amount of progress that I have made is a blessing, and I am very optimistic for what each day will bring.