1st Week of Recovery

It's Wednesday, and surprise, surprise, I have no patience for this recovery business. I'm constantly tired, I have swollen lymph nodes in the back of my head and behind my right ear, I'm still a bit light-headed, and I still have an awful taste in my mouth. There, I've listed my major complaints. Now I can be grateful for the cure I assume I've been given, for the end of the IV treatments, for no more fever, chills, or aches. While I'm not used to sitting around doing absolutely nothing, I have bonded with my cat. I'm ready to get back into being busy though. Now where did I put my motivation four weeks ago? It's got to be in me somewhere! One of these mornings I'll wake up and be full of vim and vigor - okay, I can almost hear my husband laughing cause that's not me in the morning. However, after a cup of coffee it's a different story! Maybe that's the secret ingredient - coffee. I haven't had a cup of coffee for a very long time. I'm not really wanting it yet, but maybe it will taste good again. I only have two more Ensures left, which means I'll need a new breakfast by Saturday. I guess that will have to be my first coffee morning.

I have a 3:00 meeting scheduled at work tomorrow, so there's no backing down this time. I'm going in! Gee, wonder if Murphy (the cat) wants to go along? Well, back to getting my stacks of papers and books into some kind of order by 5:00pm so it's easier to walk away from it tomorrow.

If my husband asks you, please tell him that yes I did take a multi-vitamin today. I promise to take one everyday, and I hope that they're packed full of energy.

19th & Last Treatment!

How great to finally make it to the last treatment! My hubby and I practically had the treatment room to ourselves, and I was the last patient there by the time my treatment was over. The nurses collected hole punch "dots" and celebrated with us by tossing them in the air as confetti, and they gave me a Purple Heart certificate. They really made this as doable as it possibly could be by being sincerely caring and attentive. I cannot say enough about the nurses. They seemed to get to know each and every patient, and everyone was on a first name basis. It was as pleasant a place as it could be considering why I went there every day.

The treatment itself was just as all the others. We stopped and got a butterscotch krimpet to celebrate on the way home. It tasted a little overly sweet, but not too bad. I stayed awake (sort of) long enough to say goodbye to my oldest son when he left for the airport to head back home. Then that was it. I pretty much slept the rest of the night. My stomach was unsettled again, but a Compazine eventually settled it down enough so I could finish off a glass of Gatorade.

Saturday I slept in and woke up feeling light-headed and with an unsettled stomach (so what's new). I realize that it's going to take awhile to feel good again, but just knowing that I don't have to go back for another treatment on Monday morning makes this the best weekend in awhile. I still have that weird taste in my mouth, but cantaloupe tasted almost normal while I tasted the pickles in potato salad and too much salt with potato chips. Even a grilled cheese sandwich, which sounded good, ended up tasting too salty. The Ensure drink for breakfast is the best thing I've found to start my day - I almost look forward to it because I know it's going to taste good.

Sunday I'm still trying to get my head to stop floating, so I've been laying around a lot. My motivation level is still at zero, although I've been able to do some leisurely reading. I've noticed that the lymph nodes in the back of my head are swollen, and I'm not sure if that's something that I need to call the doctor about or not. I'll probably wait till tomorrow and just let her know in case it actually matters. I still have the rash, but it's not getting any worse. The best part about today is that I don't have to go for treatment tomorrow - have I mentioned that already?!

19 done, none to go!!