Goodbye leg infection.. hello compression socks...

     It appears the cellulitis in my left leg has faded away. And the rash caused by the cephalexin is gone as well. I finished the last of my amoxicillin pills today and hopefully I can take a long vacation from taking antibiotics as I don't like what they do to my GI tract!
     Yesterday I had radiation, chemo and a consult with Dr. Yee. He said we're sticking with Gemzar for chemo treatment but have to watch that my legs don't swell and get infected again. He asked me to wear compression socks to help the circulation in my legs and thwart future leg problems. It seems like every visit brings about a new adventure. I am ready for these new experiences to taper off/end.
     On the drive home from the treatments in Hershey yesterday I became quite alarmed when it appeared I was experiencing a new side effect from the radiation and or chemo. While I was riding in the very nice Honda Odyssey owned and driven by my friend David Fogarty-Harnish my ass started getting warm and feeling like it was aglow. First, I imagined that the radiation had gone amiss. Then other scary thoughts came to mind such as the chemo was settling in my arse and burning it up!!! The longer I sat there, the hotter it got. Finally I had to tell David about this phenomenon. He said the van has heated seats and it must have accidentally been turned on. I looked toward the floor and sure enough, I had accidently bumped a rocker switch to "on" when I laid my pocket folder on the floor. What a relief that was!
     Today I felt great all day. I took anti-nausea, anti-diarrhea, anti-gas, anti-blood clot, anti-itch, anti-bitch and anti-hypertension pills in the morning to prepare for an exciting day.
      Barb and I were treated to a Flyers hockey game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly by our friends Dave and Bonnie Moyer of Souderton, PA. It was great fun even if the Flyers ended up in a deep hole 0-6 to the New Jersey Devils after the first two periods. (There were some officiating issues ... a "no call" [tripping] that turned the tide of the game). But the final period was very exciting with the Flyers scoring four unanswered goals. With five minutes to go in the game it looked like the Flyers may come back and tie or win the game. But it was not to be. Final score 4-6 Devils win.
     After the game we ate dinner at Flanigan's Boat House in Conshohocken, PA, where I had mussels for the first time in my life. I liked them very much.
     Thank you everyone for your support and kind words of encouragement. I leave you with a great quote shared with me by another friend, Ed Martin, while he drove me to radiation and back last week. It made my day.
           "Not everything you read and see on the Internet is true."
                                                                —Abraham Lincoln