Christmas Movies, Anti-Nausea Medication and Finding Natural Light!

Whew, after a day like yesterday a day feeling normal is SO exhilarating!

First ever bout with nausea yesterday morning, after three days of low dose and not very harsh chemo. The anti-nausea medication did the trick but also made me sleepy, which meant I napped most of the morning, which is really discombulating for me. Which also made me a bit cranky.

But I did manage to meditate and did an hour yoga session in what I call the sun room, even though yesterday it was poured.I think the canals that I can see from my room filled up. Crazy amount of rain.

And then, after dinner, I watched Christmas movies. And ordered a bunch of Christmas stuff for home and I might get some for my room as well. If it gives me joy, it’s part of the cure!

Today, I got up, did my two miles, then did my stretches (both for combatting radiation scarring from last year’s treatment and for my hip) in the sun room, getting heartwarming encouragement from a guy who must be here helping a friend or family member.

Then, got in a shower with ol’ Stretch and successfully washed and blew dry my hair for the first time since i got here (I was waiting for my blow dryer to come).

My two main nurses for today, Heather and Victoria, also cheered me, they wanted to know what podcasts I listen to while walking so I told them they’re about writing, which led to me telling them about my books, which led to asking about Cured and about getting disease from an abusive relationship .Because, when your body is on high alert it focuses all its energy there and spends a lot less on your immune system. That is okay when you’re under attack from a Sabre tooth tiger but not when you tell under attack from your husband for years. It makes you more vulnerable to disease , they got THAT, And then Victoria, this totally cute petite woman with GREAT eye makeup, talked about her first abusive marriage, and her escape. Phew , man, a lot gong on here.

Last week when I was getting my PICC (that‘s what is in my arm connecting me to my boyfriend Stretch) cleaned, that nurse, who had previously been a fire fighter and then an EMT here in Houston had talked to me about Houston being the epicenter of human trafficking and the sex trade. I am learning a lot about Houston from all of my care givers.

A lot of them are into meditation too. This is a place where people clearly feel they are making a difference, but, boy, it must be really hard, too.

In a few minutes I return to my room for more anti-nausea medication and anti-pneumonia medication , both prophylactic treatments in anticipation of my infusion of the newly traineed super hero warrior goddess white blood cells tomorrow.

They don’t know what time that will be, the lab will determine that. I don’t know which lab but anyway, that’s the story. It’s just like any other infusion, I think I’ll be able to do my thing. I have had two different time estimates of how long the infusoin will take from two different doctors. Anywhere from four to eight hours. So I continue to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate because it seems like a hydrated body does a lot better with infusions. It has been a tricky determining how much to hydrate because the first day I drank 100 ounces of water and between that and the saline solution I am getting 24/7, I was up going to the bathroom every hour and a half. So I am trying to do my heavy hydration before noon every day.

Definitely will meditate during the meditation to try to get all my cells in tune with what’ going on, but not for four to eight hours!

It is not totally clear but it sounds like they spring me when my white blood count hits the right level. So I am doing everything I can to make sure that happens ASAP.

BTW, two of my nurses have told me I am either their best patient or their favorite patient.

Meanwhile, one last Christmasy photo.

It’s a romantic scene but what I really like are all of those decorations!

Love to all of you!

Kate