W4 Day 3

The day started off with this crazy hairdo. I woke up with Cruella De Ville thing going on but put this hat on before i could capture it.

I’ve got the routine down now so know what to expect, eat and drink to keep my stomach and overall digestion happy. And I’ve got the total resting part down pat. So now it’s just a matter of waiting out and getting it done.

I can’t drink for a few weeks and alcohol actually doesn’t even taste good. So La Croix is my happy hour drink for now.

W4 Day 2

I didn’t think I was on the normal steroid high I get the day after Wasabi. But Jeff assured me I was. At first he thought maybe half as much as last time.

He quickly changed that to almost full strength.

We went down to the pool.

While Jeff swam laps I hung out on steroids at the outdoor living room.

Then after a long nap the steroids began to wear off. We walked a block to a nearby cafe for salad and empanadas.

fun while it lasted

But now back in my familar lawn chair kicking back for relaxation and recovery.

4th and last Wasabi!!

Getting ready this morning was a lot easier knowing what to expect after 3 times and knowing it was the last one.

This is how Sven got into my backpack.

Jeff came with me as he always does to my appt. They don’t let anyone in the infusion room so he sat with me until they called me in, went home and came back and picked me up 3 hours later.

Sven is thinking of becoming a nurse now so was really interested in the things they needed to hook me up.

He really wanted to look closely at how they administer the drugs.

I slept through most of it today only waking up to put on my ice socks and gloves.

This was the last bag of meds.

No bell to ring but I did get a certificate and a really sweet send off.

I would say I will miss my nurses but I have to come back every 2 months for them to flush my port. I need to keep it in for a few months just to be sure I don’t need it again. So I will see them again but it will be much quicker and easier.

Afterwards went out for lunch which included fresh juice

Now back at home napping and eating homemade bread that Jeff had waiting for me. I’m tired and don’t feel like I’m on a steroids high yet but you can see the steroids induced crazy in my eyes.

75% complete!!!

Today marks the 3rd Wasabi cycle as complete. I’m feeling good and ready to finish this up. Tomorrow is the fourth and last one!

Tonight I’m celebrating with a gin and tonic. Tomorrow alcohol will taste life medicine again for a few weeks.

Thank you to everyone who had helped us through this. Your support had been so incredible and humbling. It really has meant the world to us.

💚💚💚💚💚💚💙

W3 Day 27

Sven agreed to help Jeff with work today.

Jeff asked him to help him with billing but after a few minutes Jeff checked on him and Sven was just looking at pictures of girl sloths.

Then he said he needed a bathroom break.

We figured this was just an excuse because he used the bathroom yesterday and sloths only go to the bathroom once a week.

Sure enough we found him napping in the sink.

The final straw was when he was snacking on leaves at Jeff’s desk. He left leaf crumbs in Jeff’s keyboard.

Jeff said he should stick to his support sloth duties so Sven spent the rest of the day organizing the pop tarts.

W3 Day 24

We went on a short hike up Ancon hill. This is the first time I’ve done it since Wasabi so wasn’t sure how it would go.

We saw two sloths right away. This one was hanging out in a small tree. He was pretty small, possibly a baby.

This one was climbing back up to the tree tops so I’m guessing he had just come done for his weekly bathroom break.

We did not see any of these babies with well defined butts.

At the top of the hill we heard toucans but couldn’t see them. They sound like grunting frogs so easy to identify.

Later on the way back down a pair flew overhead and landed in a nearby tree. I couldn’t get a good photo but they looked like this.

This photo is from Google and we were much further away but it really did look exactly like this.

We stopped for a lunch of ham, plantain and chayote salad. I’ve never had chayote before. It was really good.

Jeff enjoyed a coconut water.

We heard some live music.

We saw some musicians warming up.

And then we went home and took a nap. Perfect Saturday.

W3 Day 23

Today was another rainy swim day. It is the rainy season but there was a tropical storm that passed near Panama that made it a bit rainier than normal.

I used our swim snorkeler that I now realize from this photo makes me look super weird. It’s not for snorkeling but to swim without having to worry about breathing so you can concentrate on your stroke and kick. It may also keep others out of the pool due to fear.

When we left the apartment Sven was checking email.

When we got back he was fast asleep.

Looking forward to the weekend!!

W3 Day 22

Today started with a text from my regular oncologist asking how I was feeling. I haven’t been seeing him since I’m seeing a Wasabi doctor. The fact that you can just text your doctors here is so nice.

The day started with rain and clouds. Most shocking was the temperature.

This was the coldest it’s been since we got here.

It’s back in the 80s now so I don’t need to pull out a jacket.