Catching up on health stuff

I've noticed that recently the blog has had a lot of non-pancreatic cancer health things, and I'm not sure whether I feel annoyed (hey, I've got cancer, I don't need all the rest of it)or relieved (hey, I'm just like every other aging person, so everything must really be okay).

But I thought I'd bring you up to date and then next time we can talk about something more interesting.

Aches and pains: a combination of Tylenol, muscle relaxant, saunas, and Jerry's fantastic massages works wonderfully.

Ulcer: Either the new meds or the cabbage juice is working well. I'm not going to stick with the cabbage juice much longer, though. It doesn't improve with time. Besides, I think I've discovered a new weight-loss system. Remember the old cabbage soup diet? Well, a glass of cabbage juice before meals kills the appetite. I've lost two pounds in the past week. Not a good idea, though I'm still at a normal weight.

High blood pressure: have I mentioned that one? It seems to be tending upward, and though none of the doctors seems concerned, the oncology nurses have taken a great interest in it and sent me to a physician's assistant, who told me to get a blood pressure cuff and take my blood pressure for a few days to see if this was all white coat syndrome.
I bought the cheapest one, with a bulb to pump up and a dial showing the numbers. When I got it home, we tried it, following the instructions exactly -- or maybe not exactly, since my blood pressure seems to be 180/0.

We've now borrowed a state of the art cuff from friends, and the physician's assistant has a script ready for me for yet more meds, if I do, indeed, have high blood pressure. Or any.

The only pc news is good -- my CA19-9 has gone down this month from 147 to 131. It probably isn't significant, but it's definitely a cause for celebration.