Day 5 of chemotherapy and more stuff has creeped into place. This exhaustion thing is for the birds! My legs are stiff and a new joy is my eye sight. When someone uses a flash to take your photo, and then there is the residual light flash in your eyes. Yes, well that is happening more often. It is another unwritten side effect from the combination of drugs. I will survive, but it is annoying!
Overall one great piece of news today is that I am only going to have one round of chemotherapy! I have two more treatments, one next week and one the following week. The picc line gets pulled. I will have a free arm once more! It can take up to 2 years to fully recover from the different chemotherapy regimes, but according to Dr. Hyde six months should do me.
During this time, I will be looking into a change of careers. Maybe a bit of writing to publish, cartooning and other creative outlets. It is time to be a bit selfish with my life to enjoy it more. Granted, I do see this as an age thing vs being sick. Hey! Maybe I should let my hair grow out to my shoulders!
I don't see that happening either.
So as to tonight, friends Chris and Corin are having BBQ dinner party gor her parents. It will be great to get out of the routine of drugs and dog walking! I am looking forward to seeing Corin's parents again. They are such a lovely warm couple!
What I have learned through this whole experience reinforces some life lessons from before.
1. Hydrate.
2. Say thank you often
3. Walk, move so what is in your system flushes out.
4. Laugh
5. Get more sleep, naps are great!
6. Accept the love and care from ones family and friends even if they are far away. They want to hug you and be there.
7. Express yourself. There is a time and a place to complain,
just as much as to rejoice. What out on the complaints. Make sure that they are legitimate, not just whining.
8. So many people do not know what to say when something devastating happens in your life and the life of others. They end up hiding to lick their own wounds of self inflicted hurt.
9. It is OK to be sick and back out of obligations, but try to make it anyway. Even if they talk behind your back about how sick you are/look. They are still talking about you....ties in with even bad publicity is still good publicity!
10. Love yourself. Be true to yourself. Pee often.
Looking back on this entry, it is not the most soul searching of one, but not every day is one of deep contiplation. The monestary head would slap the back of my head and tell me to stop thinking to hard. Just enjoy the bread and jam for what it is. Sing along to that song, out loud and off key! Don't live in your head so much!
People to thank for their love: Rob Smith, Pam Engels, David McCollough, Priscilla and Kevin (the Mr. And Mrs.), Erin Houck, Harold Gahan, Stephen Bernard, Kelly Sullivan, Roxane Waters, Mary Harkness, Corin Blanchard, Chris Pino, Amy Jajliardo, Nell Cass, Myron Schweitzer, J Dean Shelden, and the list goes on and on!
What happens when the panic, a nervous break down and growing up meet at a dinner for coffee. Also... mainly for now.. to let everyone know what is going on in my head and how much I could not be doing this without them.
