A
week ago today I was lying in my hospital bed counting down the hours before I
could escape the confines of my room. The first day of chemo has typically been
the “easiest” because I’m starting out with nutrition in my belly, a good
night’s rest and a strong body. However, by the end of Day 1 and until I get
wheeled out of the hospital on Day 3, I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck.
Knowing how hard the chemo hits me, I try to take advantage of every second I
have before I’m hooked up to the IV pole that carries the chemo through my
veins.
So,
last Monday morning after being admitted to the hospital and waiting for the
pharmacy to mix my “chemo cocktail,” I took the time to explore a little bit.
What I found was refreshing: air. There’s a covered bridge connecting two parts
of the hospital that happens to cross over to the same floor as the oncology
unit. I decided to jog back and forth across the bridge to increase my energy,
breathe the crisp, morning air and mentally prepare for my upcoming treatment. It
felt good to be alive.
One
might think that I fill my days in the hospital reading, flipping through
magazines, watching movies, calling room service, but that’s just not the case.
My level of discomfort is so high that most of the time all I can do is close
my eyes and try to sleep. Some of the symptoms I’ve experienced over the course
of my chemo treatments include nausea, drowsiness, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation,
ear ringing, loss of appetite, headache, and hot flashes. Nurses do their best
to make sure I’m comfortable, but ironically, they can give me one medicine to
help mitigate a symptom such as nausea, but that will usually just add
another--constipation. The entire thing is a lose-lose situation until I get
home. Nursing myself back to health takes about 72 hours, but my boys help to
speed that process up by just being around me. And Erin, well, he’s just
amazing through and through.
Today, I shoveled snow and ate homemade chocolate
chip cookies...simple pleasures, but they mean an awful lot to a girl like me.
It’s sometimes hard for me to imagine the stark difference of where I was a
week ago versus where I am today. My next cycle will begin after the New Year,
so I have plenty of time to celebrate this holiday season with my family feeling
healthy and strong.
Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love,
Sareana
