Gearing Up for 2015

It's a little late, but let's set the stage for 2015. After nine cycles of infused chemotherapy, one round of pill-based chemo, and a change in insurers and providers, here's were things stand:

Neuropathy (feet) -- Terrible, and it seems to be getting worse as time passes. At this point my feet are constantly on pins and needles, with dull weird pain added in from time to time, especially if my feet get cold. This is making the morning shower, which requires stepping into a cast iron tub, something of a challenge. Socks annoy my feet, but not wearing them is frankly painful. Most importantly, the neuropathy seems to make anything that involves the use of the feet -- like, say, standing, walking or driving -- something of a challenge. 

Neuropathy (hands) -- Weird, and occasionally painful; especially at the tips of my fingers where even minor pressure can cause pain. Even better, with the neuropathy has come some weird degeneration of my fingernails which are now constantly splitting. As as result of that, I've had to clip the nails so low that the tops of my fingers are now equally sensitive to pressure. 

Weird mouth pain resulting from ice -- Gone (thank Gone). So if 2015 becomes too much, at least I can have a cocktail to make things seem better.* 

Health insurance conversion -- Changing insurance, especially in the world of HMOs and networked care where what insurance you have defines what doctors you can see, is a freaking nightmare. Technically, I should be getting an Avastin infusion and starting on the second round of pills this Wednesday. That will clearly not be happening (though with a little luck a may be back up and running within a week or so). I wish I could move to Canada. You might have to wait six years for a hip replacement, but I don't need a new hip; I just need a new oncologist. 

House projects -- Still mostly undone, and in fact rather than completing any of the partially completed things I started, I decided to install a new kitchen faucet. Faucet's been in for two days, works and doesn't link; but the tools are still strewn across the kitchen counter along with all the stuff from the cabinet under the sink. Some thing's never change. 

So things are all queued up for a great 2015. Okay, that was sarcasm. All things considered, I'm about as geared up for the new year as that bear up there. 


* In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."