Chemo has it's own clever little way of manifesting its charm, shall we say, on each individual. It smiled beguilingly at me at first and seduced me into complacency. The first three weeks were a breeze except for that hair thing. I heard about a woman who completed the Hocking Hills Peletonia while on chemo. Why not? I am strong and if she can do THAT, a normal "human bean" like me can certainly do, like the normal stuff, you know? I have no ambitions about a 100 mile bike ride through the hills in late summer, but normal life? "No prob."
Second round, humm. Feeling more tired than usual but that is to be expected, I was told. Those 12 hour nights still feeling good, 3 hour afternoon naps feeling a BIT self indulgent, but what the hey? Cancelled driving to exercise class and felt like a wimp for not toughing it out, but in all fairness, I ended up in the ER that night with a zero white blood cell count which ain't good. So, maybe calling off the aerobics was good judgment on my part? Nice stay with the nurses, and then back home.
Third round--Wham Sheezam! Holly mackerel, I really didn't see that coming. In addition to the chemo treatment (which always goes smoothly without the feared physical side effects for which it is reputed), my doctor treated me to a special immunity treatment for slightly more than the cost of a thousand margaritas at happy hour. "Expect a little achy-ness", they said. "Tylenol, if you need it." So, again, "no prob", and I won't have to re-visit those 14 doctors in the ER again. Cost effective prevention, I thought.
Well, my posture was very good for the next four days! Virtual traction, trapped in my own body, and as straight as though I was strapped to a native American traverse device. Imagine Arte Johnson on "Laugh In" shuffling along with his trench coat and cane--
or riding his trycicle and slowly, so s l o w l y , toppling over sideways--muttering the entire time. Or a cardboard cutout of me hovering rigid over a chair to watch a movie. Put little round soles on the bottom of my shoes, stand me up, have yer fun wiith me tapping my forehead and and watching me go BOING! BOING! BOING! back and forth at your touch. Yep, that was me, folks, and some of the muttering was "not for prime time"! Well, actuallly most of it. . .But, darn it, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone, and flexibility is HIGHLY underrated. Try sitting without bending your knees. Try drinking coffee without bending your elbows. Try putting on shoes without bending your waist or your fingers. Thank goodness straws do bend! So, take a moment and kvell in those lovely joints: knees, fingers, elbows, and waist. Try 'em, use 'em, enjoy 'em. Appreciate them. I am bending once again, and it feels soooooooo good.
This little adventure with chemo is a lesson in appreciation. I was a "straight up" cowgirl for four days, doncha know it. I would have willingly taken the Tylenol for the price of drinking the thousand margaritas if they had told me then what I know now. I wonder how riding 100 miles on a bike without bending your knees would actually work . . .humm, not so much.
Well, I'd rather concentrate on Margaritaville. Bottoms up! Look at that lovely elbow bend!
I appreciate your ability to keep such a great sense of humor about what you are facing day-to-day!
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