Chemo Round #11

Up until last week, since the diagnosis I have never actually felt like a cancer patient.  Sure the procedures and clinic visits have all been new territory, but the new normal seemed to be something I've been able to take in stride while still leading my very normal, cancer-free life.  It all became a little more 'real' and disruptive, on Wednesday last week.

My trusty cancer-survivor (3 different types and times) buddy picked me up at oh-dark-thirty and by the rising of the sun I was already anesthetized and getting my fancy new port installed.  Not without a little stress among the medical team over miscommunication about the surgery start time.  My small but mighty surgeon cleared it all up and by ten a.m. I was out of the hospital and en route to Texas Oncology for the next-to-last Taxol infusion.  

Trixie the pixie picked me up and escorted me back to Monkey and Willie's for some much needed R&R.  We sat outside in the backyard, deliciously soaking up the sun and some non-cancerous conversation and while I didn't feel great, I still wasn't too worse for the wear.  That happened hours later, when after my meditation and hot soak (not fully submerged, as the port site still needed time to heal) in melatonin infused bath salts, I tossed and turned most of the night (couldn't turn so much as half roll from one shoulder blade to the other) in and out of hot flashes, night sweats and weird dreams.  This wasn't Dr. Teal's fault.  Gratefully, I had already cleared my Thursday schedule, thinking a double-whammy day might require a day of rest after, and was so glad of it.  I did make it up and out the door to my friend Brad's late afternoon Qigong class, focusing on the spine and five major organs (liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys) alternating between standing still and meditative movements for an hour.  It felt helpful, but I could taste and feel the chemotherapy detoxification and went directly to bed after that.

That night was a repeat of the one before it and other than a trip to the pharmacy for a dreaded shot and round of antibiotics, the bed was my refuge.

Luckily when I arose on Saturday I was feeling much more myself, albeit a little bit unsure of exactly how to proceed.  To engage or not engage, in the daily events of life?  I decided to engage, but sparingly, and enjoyed some time with my Your Heart's Desire family on our 2023 vision board building, as well as my Evolution Fitness friends at our beloved trainer's birthday celebration and client appreciation party (out doors and before the sun went down) but dang it, I missed out on the dancing...new visions for 2024.

Oh yeah, but session number eleven I won my game!  I had to make a mad dash to the bathroom as soon as I was unhooked, but for the first time did not have to waltz with my infusion pole to the loo.  I will take my wins where I can get 'em.