Session Five Complete!

After a tiring "day three" when the pump came off and I needed a lot of rest, I slept well overnight and can now consider Session Five complete. I will still watch my rest this weekend, which includes a business trip to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It may turn out that some appointments on Friday are overlooked, but this morning I feel really well. Some of that has to do with the lingering positive vibrations from Lizzie's weekend, I'm sure!

Here's an odd sidelight that may rank as "too much information" but may help understand how little things make a big difference. At my last visit, I mentioned that I was having a little trouble sleeping and that my mind raced all night when I was awake. Then, when I was indeed able to sleep, it seemed that I was gritting my teeth tightly while I was "on the pump," this made my mouth sore, and gave me a slight headache where my temple muscles had been tense all night long. (I don't usually get headaches in life, that would require my head to be fully active, and I can usually set things aside.)

Dr. Chang prescribed Ativan, the type of relaxation drug they typically give older individuals (like me, apparently) for aggravation...usually associated with heading into a nursing home, or having one's driving license taken away. I'm here to admit that I must be an older individual. I stopped gritting my teeth, so my slight headaches have disappeared. The poor mouth taste, which came about because everything was so compressed in my sleep, has disappeared, even though I still have no taste buds working on day four. That will return, as usual, around day six or so. All in all, better living through chemistry.

It is so restful to take them that I need to be careful and not get hooked on days 8-9-10, for instance, and just use them when I'm on the pump. But for now, Marky is a happy boy, resting even more when the pump is on, and looking forward to lying down at night...rather than tossing and turning for hours with CSI re-runs and the Golf Channel.

Thanks, as always, for the kind thoughts and phone calls. The support team is a huge part of this effort, and each of you know the role you play. Whether short calls from a pool in Orlando, or regular update checks along the way, I wouldn't be smiling as often if I felt like I was doing this on my own. Stay tuned for the announcement of the "support team party" at the end of the summer when I've completed round 12. I'd like it on everyone's calendar, and we'll have an announcement to make in another session or two so that you can plan ahead.