Sometimes I feel like dealing
with the side effects of chemo is like playing whack-a-mole!  I knock out one
rodent/side effect...and another quickly pops up.  There are probably 30 to
50 side effects from chemo therapy.  Some of them are polar opposites...like
diarrhea and constipation.  Without being too forthcoming here, it has taken me
quite a while to get my intestinal track under control...mostly through trial
and error of the various gastro products out there.  Then I asked the doctor if
there was anything that would stop my nose from running.  There is...but it
could cause constipation.  Ok.  Nevermind.  I will just deal with the runny nose
issue.

So the weirdest thing I
am tackling right now...is a painful wisdom tooth.  Are ya kidding me?  A
tooth is going to be my undoing!  As I've learned, the mouth is particularly
vulnerable to the effects of chemo.  All kinds of things can go haywire in your
mouth...from thrush to swollen gums.  Apparently, my upper right wisdom tooth
decided to be the victim...and about a week after each chemo...the right side of
my face swells up and the tooth can be kind of painful.  After a few more days,
the pain usually subsides...and I move on.  Except this last round of chemo
resulted in a fever and the chills.  So, maybe the tooth is infected.

An oral surgeon is going to
take a look at the tooth today.  And he and my oncologist will have to determine
if I can have the tooth pulled...without messing with my fragile eco
system...and without altering the course of my chemo.  Supposedly, if I have the
tooth pulled when I am theoretically at my strongest, right before chemo, there
should not be any problems.  Or will another rodent/side effect pop up?  I have
my mallet ready...and waiting!