Side effects.... and a drive.

I promised you yesterday that I would update you on my side effects (SE), but of course there will be some gruesomeness involved. So for those of you who are a little squeamish, let's do the drive first so you can leave after that.
Aren't you curious? It was the first time I'd been behind the wheel for 9 weeks.
Did I kill someone?
Hit something - or someone?
Have an accident?
Cause an accident?
Take a look see...

so good so far - getting out of the driveway

proof that it wasn't an optical illusion!

The Princess came along with me to make sure I was OK - and she looked petrified! I really am not sure what she was expecting - I can't imagine that she was thinking I was a bad driver. Hmmmm.

So we drove down the road and around the corner all the way to Safeway. Just three blocks. It wasn't painful exactly, but it also wasn't comfortable. We got there and home fine.

I think that the feeling was that I am fine to drive just around here, but anything further really needs to be done by someone else for a while longer.

Consider yourself warned!

Now we move on to the SE. SO consider yourself warned! It won't be too difficult for you - but again, if you are a little sensitive, please spare yourself now!

Firstly - I think I've already mentioned this, but it needs to be remembered, the nausea is gone. Yay! I cannot tell you how amazing those cups of coffee are in the morning!

The fatigue seems to have set in for the long haul ( you can read yesterday's post for a bit more on that). I was being for too optimistic about that leaving soon.

Digestive issues (turn away now - it's not too late!) - still a big problem. Constipation is just no fun at all - and we all know that I think things that aren't fun just shouldn't be allowed! We at first thought that it was because of the meds that I was taking, but I've weaned myself off of the heavy (fun!) pain meds, so that doesn't seem to be it. I think that the radiation got some of my bowel and so now it just doesn't work. I will never, ever again take for granted a daily poo!!!!!!!

I know you're thankful too!!

There is still a lot of skin peelage - hah, I just made up a word. Impressed? Unmentionable places continue to shed skin - layer upon layer. I think Sara Lee may have had radiation!! I also was being optimistic in this area - I thought that once it peeled, it would heal and that would be that. Not so much. How many layers will it take (there may be a very off-colour joke about the centre of a Tootsie roll there - but think it up and laugh all by yourself - I've helped all I can!)  'Unmentionable' places are also still very tender. Loo breaks can be a wee bit painful if I'm not paying attention.(see what I did there? *wink/smirk)

The pain comes and goes. During my absence, the front of my Fred leg (right) became very burnt and just incredibly painful. I couldn't even touch it. I got some amazing numbing cream from the hospital that helped, but I don't need it now, thank goodness. It's now just feeling a little bruised, so as long as I am careful not to hit it onto anything it's really not noticeable. But what is noticeable is the pain on the inside of my leg. It's really hard to describe, but it's almost like the outer skin and fat(and we know there's plenty of that!) are numb and the inside muscle is all bruised and battered. Fried more like it - but it feels more bruised. Fred also feels bigger and angrier - I guess we all would be a little ticked if we were radiated, hey?

So that's it for the SE. Kinda still the same, but just a bit better (besides the BMs)

And now just the cutest picture of how my honey brought me my yogurt this week - I know you are so very jealous!

How adorable is this?

Till tomorrow sweeties,
Hugs
Megan

Yep - still breathing!

I know, I know - I've been a very bad blogger and you are all witness to my momentous fail at posting every day this month. But I trust that after reading my sad, sorry tale of woe, there will be forgiveness!
Nah - it's not that bad, but it did get a LOT worse. Worse than I ever thought it would.
And what, you ask, was so bad? Well... in a word - ME.
I pushed the boundaries of the recuperation plan, and walked around the block a whopping three times - and it set my healing back about a month, guessing conservatively. Really. To prove it, let's do a little Megan math - this may hurt your brain a bit, but you'll get over it!

and you thought you were bad at maths?

So when I finished my treatments, I felt like I had about 20% of my normal energy level. You couldn't really tell from looking at me, but after a ten minute chat that left me needing a nap, you kinda guessed it.

That first week after treatment, when we began my recuperation plan, I felt like I had about 30% of my energy. Now that's a 50% improvement - right? I felt like I had so much energy then, that I did a typically stupid Megan thing and overdid it! That night after my little blockies, it was as if all energy had left me. I think I was snoozing by 7! The next day I felt like I had about 7% energy. That's low friends, really low. That's 'I can barely make it to the loo by myself' low.

I didn't leave the house until that Sunday for church and by then I was back up to about 15%. Simple things are exhausting.

Then, I got a cold. Just a simple little snotty nose, bit of a cough cold. You know - the sort that you can just 'soldier on with Codral' cold.(singing it now, aren't you?!)  No big deal. Except that it put me in bed for seven days. Yes, you read that right. In. Bed. For. Seven. Days. Miserable - energy back down to about 7%. Monday was the first day that I got back up, and had some coffee with friends, but that wiped me out. 

Today I feel that I may have about 17% - not even back up to what I was when I finished treatment, and that's been 3 weeks now. I know - that just flew by.

So that catches you up with me, and my brilliant maths skills. Tomorrow I'll catch you up with side-effect news and I'll try not to be such a fail at posting.

But I knew after you read through all of that you would forgive me - you do, dontcha?!

please???

Till tomorrow loves,

Hugs

Megan

New things, and odd things

Firstly the new....... I am getting blisters now on the front of my right thigh (Fred leg), and soon I assume the burns will come. Not looking forward to that at all! Not the funnest new thing to have happened this week, but there you have it. It's part of the 'getting worse before getting better' - and so we still have a little over a week of the radiation creating more havoc to my body. But I am in no way missing those daily trips downtown!

And now the odd...

Can you spot the difference? Yep - you guessed right and won the prize. One is smaller than the other. I used smaller knitting needles on one sock and didn't even notice! Where, oh where, is my brain these days!

Those of you who know me know that meticulous attention to detail is not really my thing. At all. But this is bad even for me! Fortunately, I had enough yarn to knit another sock that matched. Will now has a lovely pair of camo bed socks, lovingly knitted by his devoted and... yeah I know - I'm even making myself sick!!!

How sad when I'm the idiot making myself sick!!

On the recuperation front, I again did my little two block walk this afternoon, after coffee and some shopping with a friend. I didn't manage a nap this afternoon, but I did rest for the prescribed hour. Quiet time for Megan!! (I soooo feel like a toddler being punished by being sent to bed!)

BUT - my nausea has gone. Praise Jesus! It is so nice to drink a coffee in the morning and not feel ill from it. This morning was day 2 of morning coffee again, and you know that is making me a happier girl.

Mmmm-hmmmm

So happy Monday everyone - may you enjoy a lovely cup of coffee in the morning!

Hugs

Megan

You get to be part of this month's goal

And that is writing on the blog every day - aren't you just so excited?

That means a month worth of ecards - I'll try to make sure that they're PG!

Today was a good day. Piet and I have negotiated a 'recuperation plan" so that I don't take on too much. It sounds like it's such a tiny, little bit of activity (how will I reach my Activelink goal?) but it should make both of us happy.

What's on this plan you ask? you did ask right?

Only up and down the stairs 4 times (this has become an issue after my little fall a week or so ago - but it's a bummer because it means I have to be super organised!) If you're counting, that's once down in the morning, once up in the afternoon for my 'nap' and that leaves just 2 more times through the day. If you've met me, you know that being organised just isn't part of my DNA.

Yep - I think that's true!

Also on the plan is a 'rest time'! I feel like a toddler! (OK - no comments on that last item, k?) The last few days I haven't been able to sleep in the afternoon, and my body is noticing the lack of rest. Today however, I managed a 2 hour sleep. Ahh - I feel very rested now.

But the most exciting part of the negotiations was the 'walk'. I'm going to start out very slow - just twice around our block today. We need to see how my body does with the exercise and then I can work up as I can. You know where I am going with this - I see myself running within the month!!! I cannot believe that I am going to say this - but I miss running. Pick yourself up off the floor Aussies - it's not a joke.

Yep - that's about right now!

So that's about it for the recuperation plan. I'll let you know how it goes...

Until next time

Hugs

Megan

The one about getting worse before getting better

And it's a bugger. I really thought that I would recover for two weeks, not continue to get worse. And believe me, it's worse.
I am peeling in places that ought not be peeling, mmkay - 'nuff said!
The burning is still getting worse. DO NOT believe anyone who says this is 'a bit like a sunburn' (Yes - as a matter of fact, I an looking at you Dr M!) Think ore along the lines of an oven burn after it has healed a bit and gone to that brown, scaley, itchy, extremely sore and irritated burn. Now you get the picture. Now for me - picture this all around sensitive areas. I'll wait while you cross your legs and wince.......

that's a pretty good depiction.... no photos from me though!!!!!!!!!

I am very thankful though that I didn't start that burning until right at the end of my treatment. The really burning showed up just before my third last treatment - so those last three were pretty painful. When the beam ran over the burnt area was the only time that I felt like I was burning - so very thankful it was only for the last three.
Also thankful that I don't have to walk to the cars and into the hospital in my 'geisha' walk, or better yet, my Sumo walk. I think I'm turning Japanese!

I dare you not to sing it!

Anyway... the whole object of the Japanese walking is to not have any parts rubbing - that is the most painful thing ever! Well - I'm sure there are other things worse, but that is pretty bad. It's like a sever case of chaffing after you've been at the beach and forgot to rinse off the salt and then went for a long run. Yep - it's that painful!

The nausea is settling down a bit, good news because I only have tablets for today and tomorrow! I think that I forgot to mention that we switched my nausea meds to Compazine because of the constipation issue ( I warned you that I wan't going to sugar coat this process!!!) and doing that settled things immensely. Whether it worked better for me, or solving the digestive issues helped - not to know, but I really don't care, it worked!

But this morning I am in trouble with the hubster! I just want to be better peeps. SO yesterday I did a couple loads of washing - and the punishment was a severe tongue lashing! And the threat to ground me!!!!! I kid you not - apparently he is taking serious the idea of recuperation. I however, am not enjoying laying around the house doing nothing as much as I thought I would. (I see that scoff - but it's true!)

It's a hard life...

I just want to be able to get back to normal. And that means taking on some of the housework again. But this is not to be...... it's time to start all of those books on the Kindle app and actually read them!

Think I just found my new diet regime!!!

Until next time

Hugs

Megan

It's all over folks!

So I've started to peel

... also to pee - but didn't think that you'd keep reading if I put that in the title!

The peeling is in the sensitive area where your pubic hair (if you have any!) meets your leg - shall we call it the bikini line?And it's painful people, painful. Also - don't believe that story that it's like a sunburn. No way. More like the burn that you get when you sit in the oven for an hour! And rather than a red burn, this is a brown, burnt skin. Not fun at all.

And the pee? My poor bladder is not liking this last bit of radiation and is making it known by leaking all the time. I even had to buy Poise pads (Depends.) Humiliation complete.



The good news though, is that spring is almost here, I only have 2 days of treatment left, and my nails look fabulous! See -

The bulbs in the front also pushed up through the ground this morning. It makes me happy. I'm ready for winter to be over and for the weather to warm up. More ready for the radiation to be over. It seems almost impossible to imagine what life will be like without the daily trips to the hospital. But I'm more than willing to find out! I'll have plenty of time in the mornings - come and visit me!

Until next time

Hugs

Megan