Saturday, January 7, 2023

My first week of the New Year wasn’t great. Not sleeping well, so tired I didn’t even want to read, and such acid reflux that I stopped eating anything except oatmeal, soda crackers, Babybel cheese and chicken broth. When I had my appointment on Thursday the doctor gave me a prescription for the acid reflux, as well as a sleeping aid. I’ve been eating much better these last few days – everything tastes good. I know the steroid I’m on messes with my sleep so I haven’t tried the sleep aid. I’ll try it if I need to though.

I had another change in my medications – he has cut the steroid pills in half so hopefully my “down” won’t be so bad when I come off them. I’m taking them for a day longer this time. The nurse had trouble getting the IV into me for my treatment yesterday – even though at my first treatment she said she was probably the best at it in the hospital. It turns out it probably wan’t the IV site but my blood pressure was low and I was probably dehydrated so one of the three tests she had to do before my first injection was failing. After giving me lots of fluid she got the positive result she needed and we were on our way.

I felt a bit nauseous most of the day so lay on the couch for the most part. I thought that might be the case for everyday with the reduced steroid but I’m okay today. I even had enough energy to go for a walk around the block – Pat says our walk was probably the equivalent of once around the track. The rain has started so I’m glad we were out early.

There have been some bright spots in the week as well. On Tuesday we went over to Comox for my echocardiogram and we had time before my appointment to have breakfast and a visit with Peggy and Bill. It is always good to see them but after not seeing anyone for so long it was doubly nice.

I also had a sewing day with Stacia and Deloise, although my sewing was minimal. We were all working from a book we had purchased on our summer trip. I would do a few seams or a bit of trimming and pressing and then I’d go across the hall and have a rest on the futon. The pieces are all cut so whenever I feel like it I can stitch a few more blocks. Today is the first day that I’ve managed to even make it upstairs and my desk is covered in papers that I need to deal with.

I think I have accepted that there will be days when all I can manage is moving from the bed to the chair to the couch but I hope there won’t be too many days of that and I’ll have a bit more energy for these next two weeks.

January 1, 2023

Happy New Year!

I made no attempt at chronicling my achievements for 2022. I know there were very few in comparison to what I had planned. Going forward I’m not making any resolutions and will try to take each day as it comes, with whatever that day brings.

We put away the tree and the trim yesterday and Pat moved everything to the shed this morning. I didn’t have a very good night last night and Pat thinks I did too much, even though I stopped and rested after only a very short time of work. I went to bed early but couldn’t sleep so I managed to be awake to see the new year start; I’ve not done that for years.

My plan for the year is to try and accomplish something every day. That something may only be a few stitches or a bit of tidying but I will be able to go to bed at the end of the day knowing something got done. This round of chemo has been harder than the last but I think I’m struggling with my lack of energy and being able to tackle everything that I want to – right now! I guess I’m at a place of acceptance in realizing I can no longer do it all; not that I ever could do it all but I sure liked to try!

Today we’ve moved the puzzle downstairs and I’ve reworked a pattern that I hope to be sewing on Wednesday when Stacia, Deloise and I stitch for a day. I’m not sure how I’ll manage but I’m sure I can make the check-ins even if there is nothing to show.

All the best to all of you for 2023!

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

After the change in medications for my last treatment I had three good days leading up to Christmas. On Boxing Day I came off those meds and I fell fast. Kathryn warned me that might happen.

I was very low energy on the 26th, although we managed a short walk and some time at the beach. It isn’t often that we get an onshore breeze and after our short walk on the “Mighty Machine Trail” we parked ourselves at a picnic table and enjoyed listening to the waves lapping on shore. I certainly appreciated all the benches along the stretch of the trail that we walked where I could stop and rest.

Yesterday wasn’t a good day at all and I spent most of it in bed; for whatever reason laying in bed felt better than even sitting in the chair. I started to ache later in the day but I don’t know if it was because I had been in bed for so long, if it was the weight of my new weighted blanket being too heavy (but I love it) or if it was a reaction to the injections I started taking again on Christmas Day.

Getting out to the lab for bloodwork this morning was a challenge but after getting up and then going back to bed we finally made it to the hospital. I don’t know how to read the reports so I don’t know if I’m doing better or worse than I was last week. I guess the doctor will call if anything has to change.

I’ve had a couple of naps today; I’m feeling better than I was yesterday but I’m hopeful I’ll have even better days ahead.

Thursday, December 22, 2022

I knew this morning it was just a matter of time. My scalp was very tender. As the day progressed I was losing more and more hair – not in clumps as was suggested would happen, but handfuls were coming out whenever I ran my fingers through my hair.

We had planned that Pat would give me a buzz cut when the time came but his clippers really weren’t up for the job. My hair is very thick so he started to trim it down with scissors. It soon became apparent that this wasn’t going to work either.

With a treatment tomorrow I wasn’t sure I would be up for a salon visit after and I really didn’t want to go out looking half shorn – not that I’ve looked in a mirror since we started the process. And with Christmas approaching it might be days before I could get out.

Pat made an emergency call to the hair salon and we are going to meet her this evening and she will, hopefully, finish the job.