ERCP

ERCP is tomorrow (Monday).  That's my fun outpatient procedure where they put me to sleep, stick a tube down my throat and into my digestive tract and replace my stents.  I currently have 2 in place but it's time to replace those with new ones.  I think they'll put in some longer term ones that won't need to be changed for 6 months rather than my usual 3 month timeframe.  This will actually be my 4th ERCP.  It's surprisingly (knock on wood) not that invasive as a procedure.  I never have a sore throat or anything, just have to go on a liquid diet for a day.  My doctor for tomorrow, Dr. Vitale, is kind of the rock star in Louisville for these type of procedures so I believe I'm in good hands.
I bounced back pretty good after this week's treatment.  I'm worried about about my feet and hands as they seem to have gotten worse over the last week.  It feels like I'm walking on 2 bricks unfortunately and is annoying.  They don't necessarily hurt though if I'm resting them so I'm thankful for that.  To my understanding, things can get worse by having constant pain.  It feels very akward to even type this because my fingers don't have a lot of feeling in them.
I stayed in for Thunder over Louisville this year and Michelle and the girls went down for part of the Air Show but returned after being out in the cold temps.  We watched the fireworks from our TV and glad we stayed in.  I am excited it's Derby time of year.  I love the Derby and always look forward to playing of My Old Kentucky Home right before the race.  I'm looking forward to Easter weekend with the family.  I'm looking forward to going to see a few of my friends run the mini marathon, I'm proud of them for their hard work and training.  There seems to be a lot going on this time of year.  I dreaded this whole winter and anxiously waited for Spring to break.
O yeah, this last treatment was my 12th and final treatment of this regimen.  It's not really the end of chemo but I have been counting down to #12 for the last 6 months.  I have my CT scan in a week and that will help determine what my next step is.  It's nice to finally rest (somewhat) and not have a treatment looming though I know one is around the corner.
As we approach Easter, it's important to remember why we celebrate it.  To me, it means the world to me what Jesus did.  He is the reason I can hold my head up high through this mess.