Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Hi-ho, Hi-ho it is off to chemo, I go....

Okay, this is a new one for me.  I composed this on a clear brain day, meaning sometime on Sunday or Monday, thinking that I would post it before I left for my Tuesday morning treatment.  My blog was missing in action...asked Lauren for technical support, and she could not find it either.  What did I tell you about chemo brain, it is real.  Either I pressed delete or it was eaten by a hungry blogger.

Let's see how my memory is on Nasty Neulasta day, after Treatment #4, 2/3 done, one more pink bird in the yard. Booyah!  Boom!   'Cause this one was pretty cute, if I do say so myself.  You can tell that the creative mind no longer flows (funny that isn't in the side effects sheet, thank goodness I am not writing for a living) when you are being poisoned, it is more of fits and spurts.  This is more in my fairy tale/classics story retelling.  In addition to my nocturnal visits from the chemo ghosts, I have my own posse of Seven Dwarfs...I have no delusions of being Snow White, I am more of Fluffy Bald...with a chemo poison apple every three weeks.  Onco Doctor can be the Huntsman.    Glad we have a big car because the gang follows me everywhere, just glad I don't have to cook and do their laundry, hard pressed to do for the guys that actual live with me.  Let's meet my crazy gang of seven.

There is my favorite, but unfortunately, he is not always around, Doc, he goes with me to all my appointments, helps me make sense of the side effect sheets, and gives me courage to speak up and say no when I think that things are not right, or not for me.  I say that a lot, but it is my body.

Dopey is always around, I suspect that he was the one that hit the delete key on this original post.  I have sticky notes (I call them cookies) all over, or notes of what I have done and when I did them so I don't repeat or screw up what I need to do.  The number of errors that I have (I mean Dopey) made are pretty incredible.  Have caught them with my paper trail, but sometimes lose emails of social engagements, there are saved some where I think.  If we don't show up, don't think we are too ill, figure Dopey hid the email.

Sleepy hangs around far more than I would like.  Sometimes when Dopey is too much, I just follow Sleepy's siren call to the pillow.  If I am lucky, Dopey stays in bed just a little longer, and I can have some clear headedness.

Now for the sets of twins Itchy and Twitchy.  They are quite the pair.  Twitchy just hangs out around my eyes, drying them out, clogging tear ducts, making my eyelids flutter involuntarily.  While Itchy is the real trouble maker, he goes head to foot make sure that my nerve endings are all firing at will.  Hands, feet and top of my head (along with my eyes) get more than enough attention...tingling and itching (see side effect sheets)  Can quiet Itchy down with a dose of benedrayl but then Sleepy and Dopey come out to play.  Boy, decisions, decisions.

Finally, there are Lumpy and Grumpy.  Lumpy only is around from about day 13-21, when my hair can't decided where to fall out or grow.  Ed takes the clippers to what is left, I use creams, then Lumpy comes, and invites Itchy to come up and play.  I have more razor stubble on my side of the bathroom vanity than Ed does on those days.  Good Grief.  Grumpy like Dopey is a constant companion.  He grumbles a lot about everything...out loud, it has been a long journey and this traveler is getting weary.  My next post will be how I am trying to tame my inner grumpy...I know my family will be happy...I am going back to my earlier Attitude is everything...

Until my creative surf is next up, take care of the dwarfs and ghosts in your lives and thanks for your continued support.





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