Another day... another update

Merry Christmas Eve Everybody!

Unsurprisingly, I have quite a monstrous headache today... 8 total radiation treatments down (25 to go!), plus chemo (well technically it's a monoclonal antibody - not "true" chemo) will do that. That, and I just ate some Skyline chili because I am stupid... my stomach doesn't feel too great now either (on the bright side it was delicious). But that's enough whining for now... my poor dog is drowning me in a pool of sympathy, he's so awesome.

I didn't sleep much last week because (the docs think) of being on steroids, which is a bit of a catch 22 because the steroids help with brain swelling, and consequently reduces headache pain, so I've reduced the steroid intake a bit, which is good if it still does the intended job. I suspect the hotel beds aren't helping the sleep situation too much, but it's actually a very nice place... I just don't sleep well when not at home... pretty boring story huh? I think I'm putting myself to sleep now, so maybe I'll just write this kinda stuff at the hotel.

Back to Christmas (I'm scatterbrained, perhaps literally?)... My family celebrated Christmas on Thanksgiving (we called it Thanksmas) because my brother and sis-in-law would not be in town, plus we weren't sure if I would be either due to either white death (snow) or simply not feeling well. I wore my "All I Want for Christmas is a Cure for Cancer - and maybe a couple presents under the tree" shirt to the hospital yesterday, and of course it was a big hit (I've become known at pretty much any doctor's office I visit as "the t-shirt guy"). The meaning of Christmas has changed significantly over the years, something I think and hope we all experience... It's not about the wrapped up stuff so much as what we've had all along: family. Our Thanksmas was incredible because my family was together, and we all got thoughtful gag gifts for each other instead of the usual "what do you want" type Christmas... I don't think I could laugh much harder about some of the items I received (thankfully, my family appreciates that I have a sick, twisted sense of humor)... I won't be telling you what I received. But again the gifts themselves weren't important, but the thought put into them made them priceless.

So, tomorrow won't be much different than any other day for our family... we will wake up thankful that we've woken up, we'll probably watch a movie or two and play a couple games, have a nice dinner and then make fun of each other (sounds pretty normal right?). I love how every day is like Christmas for me, because every day is another opportunity to keep living... even if some days are spent in pain or aren't as exciting as others, every day I'm alive is cherished and treated like a gift.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and spend some time thinking about the meanings of the gifts you receive, regardless of what they are.