Greetings from Denver

Robert & I are in Denver for two reasons. We have a booksellers trade show this week, plus Robert has a booth at the Denver Gem & Mineral Show. Normally, these two events don't fall on the same weekend, but this year they did. So we are dividing and conquering. It was during this book show last year when I first noticed some rather minor symptoms which made me think I might have gall stones. I first went to the doctor last year on September 28th. My life has been quite different since then.

I'm actually playing hooky from the book show at the moment. I should be downstairs at one of the educational seminars, but I'm feeling a little yucky - queasy with flu like symptoms. I probably didn't have enough food in my tummy when I took my morning meds. I've gone off the Xeloda again as my feet started swelling up, peeling, and hurting. I was up to 3/4 of the dosage. I didn't have my Gemzar infusion this week since we were going to be out of town.

We're staying at the Marriott in the Denver Tech Center and I'm enjoying our nice room - the book show is here at this hotel. I hadn't had a chance to check the cholangiocarcinoma.org website or update this blog, so I figured this is a good time to do it. Robert is out at the Merchandise Mart setting up his booth for coloradominerals.com, a website business he has for selling minerals. We're bummed that we had to split up this weekend.

I've been feeling "yucky" a lot lately. Last Sunday, I didn't do my radio show. When I got off work at the bookstore, I just went home and slept. I'm beginning to suspect that the effects of chemo are cumulative. When I first startedwith the Gemzar, I might have one or two days of feeling a little yucky, but now it's most of the week. The queasiness is getting closer to being nausea but not quite. Mostly, I'm just achy, sometimes cold, sometimes hot, headache, tired - like having the flu. Then my feet want to swell up and that can be slightly painful. However, I know compared to a lot chemo regimens, the side effects of mine aren't so bad. I'm actually beginning to like infusion days when I get my steroid pills because I feel good and have lots of energy the day of chemo and the day after. I'm learning that I need to schedule some down time when the slump comes.

Last Saturday, I had a booth at Lupita's Bizarre Bazaar which is a flea market in Ridgway, the town north of Ouray. It is a fun event, and I got to see lots of people. I made $100 selling odds and ends from around the house: hair-thingies (my hair has thinned and is extremely short - don't think I'll wear a ponytiail again); cologne (I just can't wear some fragances now as they make my stomach turn); purses that I love but never carry - I rarely change purses; make-up that came in an Estee Lauder or Clinique gift program (after they've sat in the bathroom for five years you figure you won't use them). The women were all over the cologne and make-up - it was gone in the first hour. I had a good time, but it probalby contributed to my being so tired the next day.

I found out some things about clinical trials, but I'll put that on my next post as some of that info is at home.

Driving over from Ouray to Denver yesterday, the aspens are about 1/3 golden and it was so pretty. I'm takng pictures of the deer at home and hope to post some pictures when I get the roll finished.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes.

Just over here in Denver learning some new things about the independent bookstore business.

Sincerely, Caroline