Still more fun...

At least now I'm feeling halfway human, finally. Did you know that mouth sores and sinusitis can also come along with chemotherapy? Yeah, me neither, until now! Chemo can cause sores in the mouth and throat. It can make these areas dry and irritated or cause them to bleed. Mouth sores are not only painful, but they can also become infected by the many germs that normally live in your mouth. Infections can be hard to fight during chemo and can lead to serious problems. It's important to take every possible step to prevent them. A weakened immune system from chemo can increase the risk of sinusitis. Sometimes, certain chemotherapies can irritate the mucous membrane inside the nose, mouth, vagina, etc. Bummer!

It's been a melancholy weekend. The other day I watched a small, perfect snowflake fall onto my glove and was awed by it. Today, I watched it snow and it just made me sad. Cancer has changed me permanently. I was just walking along, living my life, when I was blindsided by the diagnosis of breast cancer. Since I didn't have a family history of the disease, I'm sure I said, "It won't happen to me" at least once. But now I've learned in a very painful and immediate way that it can happen to me. I sometimes find myself overwhelmed by fears that it will reoccur. So, my awareness is double-edged. On one hand, I have become at least somewhat less concerned with trivial matters and try to carry with me a strong measure of calmness. Even on difficult days, I try to remember how fortunate I am to be alive and feel grateful. On the other hand, I also have the very real fear that any day I can wake up and encounter a loss of some sort.