Chavez warns cancer not yet over

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Sunday he had responded well to two rounds of chemotherapy but warned the worst has not yet passed. Chavez said he was telling himself to "not get carried away by impulses. You can convince yourself it's already passed and people may start believing it. But that has not happened." The firebrand leftist president, who follows a strict routine of medication, diet and exercise to help him in his recovery, said he had a good appetite, was gaining weight and had no nausea from the drugs."We're fine, but of course we are very careful," Chavez told official television broadcaster VTV, adding that he had received positive results from various medical tests.Chavez, 57, underwent an operation in Cuba on June 20 to remove a cancerous tumor in his pelvic area and received a first round of chemotherapy in mid-July. He returned home to Caracas earlier after a weeklong stay in Havana, greeted by applause from cabinet officials and military officers."So you have to take life by the horns," said a smiling Chavez, adding that he was starting a "new life".Chavez said he had taken up painting after two chemotherapy sessions on Monday and Tuesday, as he expressed renewed confidence in his recovery. "I'm making my own recovery. I've got a new center of gravity and it's the beginning of a new stage in my life," said Chavez, who has been in power since 1999.The Venezuelan leader said he gave two trees to Cuba's Fidel Castro, a close ally who turned 85 on Saturday.