It was back to the Oncology Infusion Clinic today for another liter of fluids. I now know what it feels like to be dehydrated and know to get to the clinic so I don’t have to go to the ER. It is hard to walk around with a bp of 91/56. Apparently there is a significant learning curve to managing intake and out-go during chemo. There are so many pills to take to counteract the side effects of the chemo drugs and then to counteract the pendulum swing from the 1st pill there is yet another pill to get the swing going back the other way.
After getting the fluids on board I felt good enough to chew some lunch.
This has been a rough ride. I have an amazing group of family and friends who seem to show up, call, or send something at just the right time to get me through the day. And when a bouquet is on its last legs, another bouquet shows up almost like magic. And it is wonderful!!! Please feel free to call me on the cell phone any time. When I’m taking an “official” nap, I turn the phone to voice mail. If I’m just dozing in the recliner, I probably need to wake up before my neck gets stiff, so please call.
Barbara came over yesterday and fixed my poor dead hair with a new style…a 1” buzz all over. This does look so much better. How can hair die from the tip back to the root? As far as I can tell my hair isn’t falling out yet; certainly not by clumps, but it could be thinning even more. My head gets cold outside but there is enough hair remaining to keep me warm in the house. I can see the near future need for a cover all the time.
My best friend in high school collects antique quilts and antique costume jewelry. Carolyn shared with me her extensive quilt collection and how she uses the jewelry to decorate throughout her beautifully restored county home. I came back home to re-think my jewelry collection in terms of using various pins on decorative pillow covers and tassels. Now I am having a 2nd re-think about the pins. I think a close fitting hat/cap could be decorated with pins plus beads left over from my jewelry making days and would be a nice thing to wear on a bummer day. It doesn’t look like I will be able to sew any time soon however I may be able to stitch beads.
It has been great to have Katherine here this week. Her best friend from high school joined us for lunch yesterday. Vicki is a pharmacist and mother of a son who survived cancer some years ago. Between the two of them I got an education on chemo drugs. I’m glad they know all this technical stuff and say I’m on the right path. It is all I can do to make it from one pill to the next and know when to go in for fluids.
Evan and I will be unsupervised for a couple of days between Katherine’s departure and before MaryAnn and Harry’s arrival. O, dear.
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