Life since my first chemo treatment has simply been - a rollercoaster.
As a teenager, I was super well behaved. I didn’t get into a lot of trouble, especially when it came to the consumption of weird and wonderful substances… but man oh man, if the movies are anything to go by, I have been on a trip! I have been quite literally been holding onto the bed sheets while the room has moved around me.
The worst part? This isn't a known side effect of chemo treatment, and the oncology team think it’s a side effect of my sinuses. I have had a stinking cold along with chemo. They aren't worried but are keeping tabs on me all the same.
In my family, my brother is known for being the one with the most common sense, but after 37 years, I feel like he has rubbed off on me. Even if just a little. Please see exhibit A below... known as basic bob, this is what life looks like. But please folks, don't panic! It's a saline infusion, not chemo, and for those that might be about to undergo treatment this is far from usual.
Unfortunately, this week took a little bit of a turn for the worst. If I was to use a food analogy think - she accidentally used jalapeños in a recipe not green peppers. That is how it feels to have a stomach flu on top of an AC chemo treatment.
Thursday was a marvelous morning- getting shit done, making gains, and excited for Izzy’s first swim lesson without mom and dad in pool. For anyone who has sat poolside, I am sure you know it's hot and smells a little funky. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the excessive use of chlorine with the number of toddlers peeing in the pool, but what I thought was a little "I haven't eaten and it's weird in here", quickly turned into something much, much more.
It turned explosive, and I simply didn't know which way to turn. Poop and puke flowing at speeds greater than Niagara Falls, and what was worse I had to endure an MRI through all of it! It was the longest 22 minutes of my life trying to hold it, but in great news, I didn't feel an ounce of claustrophobia!
The sickness lasted over 15 hours! Yes, I could have flown to a tropical Malaysian destination in the same time. However, in all seriousness, that level of sickness is at the top of the "go to hospital if this happens" fridge sheet, as such fluid loss can be mission critical for a chemo patient. Timing was such, I called the cancer centre and they arranged for me to go to our local hospital for a shot of the good stuff... in this case, fluids and Gravol.
I have found that time and time again, being on chemo can complicate the most simple of things and fluids had to continue at home all weekend. Another 8 hours hooked up... but with the absence of an IV pole, we had to get creative. Basic Bob was born... Why Bob? Because last year when I was admitted to hospital I had a IV pump, and after 8 days spent intimately, I felt the IV should have a name... Bob!
After lots of sleeping, a new relationship with the porcelain in my ensuite, and some home hydration via basic Bob, things are looking up for me. But that is not the end of the story...
Joel joined me for the IV hospital treatment but after feeling a little funky left to get a snack and never came back! The best proof point that it's a bug and not the side effect of chemo is to share it with your hubby!!! What better way to celebrate the 6th anniversary of your engagement that laying side by side with matching Pedialyte freezies?!
You will hear me say time, and time again, it takes a village, and this week is no different. I need to give a huge shout out to mom, who like a knight in a dirty Santa Fe rode in and scooped up Izzy, so as a family, we didn’t have to purchase shares in toilet paper stock. As Hugo Willis is officially in charge here, we are perfecting fetch snacks but I'm hoping my need for them to be delivered ends far quicker than it takes for his beagle brain actually clues in…
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