As I remind myself and others, this treatment program is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Having passed the halfway point in my treatment schedule, I feel like I'm on a distance run at the point where you're just putting one foot in front of the other. I find myself looking forward the finish line in April, while dreading the remaining three treatment cycles.
I'm getting a cumulative effect, where the previous does hasn't completely ended its effects, when another load comes in. The side effects seem to hit faster and harder in this fifth cycle. My voice is already hoarse. (It doesn't hurt or feel like a sore throat, but it sounds like it.) My taste buds are really shot this time. Here's what tastes normal, so far in my informal poll:
Potatoes
Corn
Rice
Some hard candies
and,...that's about it. Just about all sweets, meats, fruits and vegetables either taste like nothing, taste off, or just plain taste bad.
Oh well, it beats the alternative, which is not treating the disease.
In the meantime, I'll look forward to a spring/summer day when I get a clear bill of health and my taste buds return. That will be a great day!
I the meantime, excuse me while I go have a snack on...uh...nothing.
