Category Archives: chemo

a day at the hospital

11 Thursday Jun 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, friends, health & happiness, hope, hospitals, life stuff

≈ 12 Comments

day at the hospital

It was just supposed to be a routine appointment.

[warning: long, rambling and not very interesting
– just the way it actually happened!]

Last January when I had my post-surgery check-up I mentioned that since the operations (this had been my third in seven months) I’d been experiencing a painful burning sensation along the outside of my right thigh when I was in bed. I couldn’t remember if I’d had it before the ops, and the surgeon thought it was worth me getting it checked out. Though he clearly didn’t think it was too serious as my appointment with neurology was made for six months later. Yesterday, in fact. Of course, last January I didn’t know I’d be back on chemo . . .

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time out…

08 Monday Jun 2009

Posted by in cancer, change, chemo, fitness, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, home, hope, life stuff, yoga

≈ 17 Comments

healing

Remember multi-tasking az?
Well, she is taking some time out.
She needs some time to heal.

I just couldn’t do it all. I’ve spent the past two months going through the horrors of chemo for the second time, trying to organise work projects and find new students to teach, pay my bills, make new contacts … and all it’s doing is wearing me out. I haven’t actually found any work and I know that – things being the way they are in Seville – the chances of anything picking up for me workwise won’t realistically happen until September. So it’s time to stop hitting my head against that brick wall for now and time to start doing what I know will help me.

I’ve spent the past few days “practicing” my new healing method and you know what? It feels great. I’ve been listening to exactly what my mind and body need and then doing just that. And I know that, for me, this is the best way to heal.  I also know that doing this isn’t going to make me one euro, and I have no idea how I’m going to make ends meet over the summer … but I just can’t worry about that now.

This is what I need to do. Follow my heart.

round 4 …

04 Thursday Jun 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, friends, hospitals

≈ 20 Comments

chemo_drugs… and really dreading it.

Last time I had a really bad reaction to the infusion. By the time I got home I felt sick & weak, my tongue was swollen, vision blurry, eyelids were twitching like mad … I ended up heading straight for bed and collapsing. When I told Dr Ana about it yesterday I thought I just needed them to give me an extra bottle of saline solution in the drip at the end, but apparently the solution won’t be so easy…

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day ten

24 Sunday May 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, fitness, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, home, hope, tapas

≈ 20 Comments

sun_clouds

It’s day ten after the last infusion and the sun is starting to shine again. Well, in terms of how I feel – it’s actually been nice and sunny here for ages. But it’s around this time of the chemo cycle that I can start drinking cool beverages again, take stuff out of the fridge without it hurting my fingers, and stop feeling so bloody weak and bleh. I could tell it was different when I woke up yesterday morning … can’t really explain it, just that things felt less “heavy and bleak” and somehow less “wrong”.  What a relief!

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time to get up already?

19 Tuesday May 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, health & happiness, home, naps, yoga

≈ 14 Comments

sleeping_beauty

I have basically been sleeping since last Thursday afternoon when Flor dropped me off at home after the last infusion.  I always seem to be hit hardest by the chemo during the first five days so I think it’s good thing to just give in and do what my body is demanding. Which is to rest.

When I was on chemo last summer I always had five awful days when I was laid low with nausea and could barely move from bed. After the first two infusions this time (with new anti-nausea meds) I felt a bit tired the first five days but got by with a nap in the afternoon. Little did I know this was because of the dexametasona, which gave me an energy boost but really made me pay for it when I crashed a few days later. This time with only the anti-nausea meds I don’t have nausea but I also have no energy whatsoever. I’ve managed a short walk each day – and even made it to yoga yesterday! – but the days have been punctuated by no less than three 3-hour naps. And you know what? I just give in. Like I have a choice?

But today is day six and I plan to get up and stay up. Wish me luck!