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I’m sitting here at 4:30am on Sunday morning, listening to the rain pelting down, and thinking about the last week and the week to come. The weather we’ve had is just a reflection of the rollercoaster of events. Last week’s beach excursion seems so long ago.
The week started with a small celebration for Elena’s birthday. A couple of weeks early as chemo will affect my staying power on the actual day. She had a couple of friends for a sleepover and I’m still paying for the hike that I took them on up the back. I may be able to walk 5km but apparently not on 45 degree inclines.
On Tuesday, I finally met my distant American cousin, Wendy. The US connection is due to my great great grandfather’s brother taking his family and following a prophet to Michigan. We had a very nice day – some kangaroos made an appearance but the koalas and echidnas were running late it seems, as they didn’t show themselves until later.
Later that evening, David’s Dad passed away. Expected, and very much a welcome release, but still hard for everyone. Much of the rest of the week was concerned with funeral arrangements although David was ambulanced to hospital on Thursday with what was diagnosed as a possible kidney stone. He’s fine now, it seems. (And note to RAH food outlets – if you’re going to charge a small fortune for a roll, the avocado should not be crunchy!)
Personally, the days have been up and down. I have tolerated the chemo much better this time with only minor issues once the worst of it was out of my system, but I’m, oh so tired. I tried to read a book yesterday afternoon and dropped it twice in as many minutes because I’d fallen asleep. Gave up then and had a nanna nap. But then, I’m awake at 2am and can’t get back to sleep without medicating.
And it seems that I’m in the group for whom the cold caps only partially work. I knew that I would get some thinning, which I have been since the first treatment, but on Wednesday I noticed that I’ve got a bald patch on top. I’m really thinking that I don’t want to go through the hours of torture of having my head frozen if it’s not going to work properly. And it does freeze … last time the nurse had to wait to take the cap off because it was stuck to my hair with ice! So it may be beanies and wigs for me.
On Friday, a lady came up to fit me for prosthetics and bathers. Which is amazing – we can’t even get tradies to come here. Got some lovely new bathers so I’m ready for swimming now without scaring the crowds.
Yesterday, I went to a special cancer workshop on makeup and wigs, etc. I was looking forward to it as I thought that I would get some tips on tricks to overcome the effects of chemo. I was surprised at how very anxious I was going into the workshop with a bunch of strangers and I don’t really know why – it’s not the way I would normally feel. But nothing’s normal these days. I did get a bag of makeup, mostly up-market brands, and I can honestly say now that $35 lipsticks are absolutely no better than the $5 variety that I usually buy, and that follows for most of the products.
The week ahead is going to be a busy one and there’s always things I’m trying to get done before chemo knocks me out. We have Ted’s funeral tomorrow which will be a long and, no doubt, emotional day. On Tuesday, I have a review with the surgeon and I have a list of questions ready for that. I’m also waiting to hear about an appointment with an exercise physiologist and I need to arrange an appointment to deal with cording from the surgery but I doubt I’ll get time to do it. Then, on Thursday, I have my 3rd chemo treatment which I’m quietly dreading. While I’m having that, my wonderful friend, Sheryl, is stepping into the breach and driving halfway across Adelaide to pick Elena up and take her to the primary schools state swimming championships at Marion. Which is wonderful because she would have been devastated not to be able to take part (Elena that is, not Sheryl).
I’m really not looking forward to the chemo diffusion but I keep telling myself I’m halfway through the nasty stuff and if measuring in time, I’m quarter of the way through this part of treatment. Onward and upward…