Yesterday was a fun day. Pam dropped by for a visit, followed by Jesse & Susan. Later Lora came by. Wonderful to have good friends in the house, though I’ve learned from my first ride on the chemo rollercoaster – keep visits short! As much as I’d like to gab all day, even as I’m falling asleep while sitting down, it’s not the best approach to healing. So, Ann has helped me set up reasonable time limits. I am so bad at setting limits on my time with friends and family.
Dan arrived early with a couple of bags of goodies from Whole Foods (Worcester doesn’t rate one) in Cambridge. He & Ann were going to do our regular household shopping, but Dan noticed Ann was tired and volunteered to do it alone. Dan is a rock. We hung around and watched the Olympics, mainly curling.
I’ve become a big curling fan. A couple of months ago, we Netflixed a film called “Men With Brooms”. It’s an independent movie made in (yes) Canada. The film is really fun, a romantic comedy / family drama built around curling. The first sporting event I watched on the chemo coaster was The Super Bowl and I had trouble keeping up with the pace. The Olympics arrive and with it, curling. I’m watching and thinking “hey this is a great sport, it’s like bowling mixed with billiards with chess-like strategy.” The flow of the game was exciting, stone after stone building the tension. Why was everyone else in the room yawning? Turned out that the pace of curling matched my attention span. Kismet!
We had dinner, talked some more, and watched the Men’s Curling Gold Metal Game (Suisse vs. Canada – you know who won, right?) Then Dan and I got caught up in the Four Men Bobsled Team runs – the Team USA “Night Train” sled. Ann went to bed but Dan and I decided I’d stay awake though the final bobsled runs. About this time, I began to feel a little nausea (must have been the end of Olympic curling) for the first time. I waited for it to pass, but after an hour or so, decided to take a couple of meds. The meds worked and I haven’t had nausea since. Less meds I take the better, so long as I take them when I need them! Dan left around 11:00 pm, and I read a bit as I waited for the nausea to pass. Last chemo cycle, I lost my ability to concentrate on the printed page. This time, I’m doing ok, probably a mix of less meds and better tolerance to chemo (we’ll see on this later as the chemo effects ramp up.)
Had a great nights sleep and woke with plenty of energy. While I was drinking a bottle of Boost, I read the ingredients and discovered that Boost has way more potassium and magnesium than Gatorade! Been drinking lots of Boost, especially when my mouth is sore. No wonder my potassium and magnesium levels have been so strong! No mo’ Gatorade - anyone want some?
This afternoon, Ann went to see the musical Suessical, starring Jesse & Susan’s daughter Julie. The show was too long for me to consider attending, also too many people while the chemo is pumping. In lieu of the show, I drove to my parents’ home and Rudy Dog & I visited for a (preset time of) half hour. Rudy is so excited when he realizes we’re at my folks’ place. He runs round and round the condo, through every room, greeting Mom & Dad with big doggie grins and a nuzzling head. We had a wonderful visit. Dad & I compared ports. Rudy & I returned home and I took a nap. My brother Alan stopped by with Uno Vegetable Soup, a nice and very welcome surprise (yum!) As soon as Alan headed to our parents’ home, Ann returned from Suessical. The musical and Julie were both wonderful, says Ann. It was especially fun for Ann, seeing the baby grown now into a beautiful young woman, putting her verve and personality into the challenging part.
Well, the hiccups are sneaking up on me, so I took a Bacliphen. It is really useful to know that the 5FU is the likely culprit (80.1 ml left on the pump.) The Gold Metal Hockey Game between USA and Canada has just started the third period. My book awaits.
Thanks everyone for your support and inspiration. Arlene, really enjoyed our conversation today. You are my hero!
Love…
Richard
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