Feels like a bit of a setback somehow, even though the docs tell me that mouth and throat sores are a common effect of 5-FU.  So they disconnected my pump yesterday and doc told me that after three solid weeks, to leave it off for a week should not make much difference in the efficacy of the radiation, which is the only reason to be taking the 5-FU.

Seemed like I could feel the change in my body after only two hours free of those constant infusions. Hard to describe the change, but it mostly seemed like a lightening of some kind. As though the body had been pushing back against the chemical and finally was free of that need to push.

Grateful for the relief, but today the throat and mouth were just as bad. Throw in some nasty explosive bowel movements, and there you have my Saturday.

Except for the Chinese fire drill with what doc calls Magic Mouthwash, with Lydocaine to relieve the pain.  They were to call it in to my local pharmacy yesterday, but when I checked today, the pharmacy hadn't heard from them. So got the doc to call again only to find out the pharmacy didn't have what they needed and would have to wait for a special order on Monday. So I asked them to transfer it to another major pharmacy. No luck. That pharmacy wouldn't try it without knowing which combination of ingredients the doc wanted. So original pharmacy said they would call doc to get the information they needed to transfer it. But they didn't. The pharmacist said that's not what he told his tech to do. About to give up when the on call doc phoned and said it wasn't likely he could find out the desired recipe today and that I should gargle with salt water till Monday when the original doc could call it in. Ready to give up when the original pharmacy called and said that the doc had called them and they did indeed have what they needed to mix the recipe. But that they were going to close in eight minutes. Tough challenge when one can't drive and must depend on neighbors who had left for the day. So we will wait till Monday after all.  Who says our health care system is in need of improvement? No point fussing. Will learn to love salt water.

Never give up and keep smiling through it all.