The End of Round Five

So, I'm (AJ) sitting here soaking up the final hours of the precious rest week, the 3rd week before it all starts over again.  While freezing time isn't an option and wouldn't be advisable in any case, it's been really nice over the past few days to be able to taste (more of) what I'm consuming, gather with family and friends and enjoy everyone's company, play some tennis, coach Evan and his little league teammates, and relax in front of some NCAA hoops action.  Life is so good!  

Alas, tomorrow morning, round 6 begins and I dread the 96-hour infusion of drugs into my body that awaits.  Even as I know the drill, and appreciate how the treatment I'm receiving is finely tuned to track down and stamp out any remaining cancer cells in my body, it's almost like my body from head to toe is screaming, "Enough!"  One sign of this is the neuropathy (a nerve problem that's a common side-effect of one of the chemo drugs) that has led to gradually increasing numbness, tingling and muscle weakness in my hands and fingers.  Thankfully, the scheduled 6 rounds of treatment will conclude this Friday and I continue to hope and believe that I will be cancer-free when the PET scan is carried out mid-April.  Appreciate all the positive thoughts, prayers, and deeds that so many continue to send our way - we feel incredibly blessed and uplifted by your support.