Another day, another chemo

Steroids wake me up at night! It happened last Wednesday and now it's happened again. I am wide awake at 3 am!!! The day before, the day of, and the day after chemo, I take Decadron--a steroid--2 pills in the am and 2 pills at dinner. I had trouble falling asleep Tuesday nights around midnight. Then, I was up at 1:00 for a bathroom break, then wide awake at 3am. Tossed and turned and tried to fall back asleep for about an hour. Got out of bed at 4:15 and finished reading 'The Shack'. What a great book--have to revisit it again, though--way too much thinking involved.

So this past week was interesting.
Chemo on Wednesday, May 20th. 9:15-2:30. Went home and planted flowers with Dave. Ate dinner at home on our 19th wedding anniversary, and then went to the concert that the girls were in.

Thursday, May 21. Feeling very energetic all day, started to get tired at night. Was able to take Ali for her knee mri and dropped off music for the accompanyist for Cassie's AllState solo and bring the girls to physical therapy at 7/7:15.

Friday, May 22. Girls were off. Less energetic, pretty nauseous all day. Went for rehydration at 2:15 and didn't get out until 5. Felt a bit better then and went to pick up my new wig afterward. Ali headed out to Steff's grandma's for the night.

Saturday, May 23. Dave brought Ali, Mary and Steff out to Calverton to lay flags on the gravesites of soldiers for 'Operation SOS' (a club that Ali belongs to in school). I was feeling pretty tired and had a wicked headache and nausea. After they returned home, Ali, Cassie, Steff and Dave and I headed for his sister, Kim's, house. Dave took the girls to the air show and I stayed back with his parents to help prep for the barbeque. I felt somewhat productive, cutting tomatoes, onions, cheese. Then around 4 pm, we ate--red meat has never tasted sooooo good before! I went to lay down after that and woke up around 7. I had a good 3 hours of feeling quite wonderful, and then the fatigue, headache, and nausea kicked back in. It was a rough drive home.

Sunday, May 24. Slept most of the day away with a headache and nausea. It's amazing how much I can sleep! and then sleep some more. Found out today that Blue Gatorade is KEY! We went over to Debbie and Jay's (neighbors of Jeff and Theresa's) for a barbeque/dinner around 6. Cassie's new 'boy' interest joined us. He followed us there in his car, so he could head straight home afterward, since he lives halfway between us and them. He was a good sport about meeting all of us for the first time, on such a huge scale of people. It turns out that he already knows my brother in law, Jeff, and our friend Tom, because his dad worked for the same company as they do. Pretty small world. Oh, and Dave also fit him and his sister for shoes when they were younger. Only issue is that he's 19 and she's only 16. We left around 10 and I had a great night sleep.

Monday, May 25. Slept most of the day away with a headache, and nausea. I was able to get little things done on a small scale: laundry, bathtub cleaning. Each time I would finish a project, I would lay down for a while. We grilled up some burgers for dinner (Cassie went to Nikole's for a BBQ) and sat outside for the first time this season. I was feeling a bit blue, beginning to wonder if I would have any 'feeling somewhat good days', wondering how to make it through the next 8 weeks of treatment. Will the toxins gradually build up and I'll feel worse???

Tuesday, May 26. Began steroid again, in preparation for chemo on Weds. What a great, productive day I had. Steroids are wonderful...during the day that is! I was able to get ironing done without having to take a nap! I got bills paid, finished up laundry, went to Sam's and Stop and Shop, picked up a present for my mother-in-law at Kohl's and went to a parent meeting for Ali's class trip this weekend. Then, at 7, we all went to my in-laws for my mother-in-law's birthday party. Bed at 11, wide awake at 3 am again!