Chemo log 8 crummies in the tummies

It is official I finally puked. My third chemo treatment has left me weak. The schedule was a little mixed up this week due to the holiday weekend. I received treatment on Wednesday (6/30) instead of the usual Thursday treatment. Thursday seems to be a better plan as it allows for me to only have one day of work post-treatment, followed by two days at home to recover. This week I was scheduled to work Thursday and Friday after treatment. Thursday was okay, I was definitely moving slow but I didn't have that burning desire to just lay down. Friday on the other hand was another story. I woke up to my morning cup of super strong java, and I just couldn't get moving. I sipped my coffee slowly and finally headed upstairs to get dressed. By the time I finished with my make-up, I started to get a little belchy. The next thing I know I am throwing up my cup of coffee. Fortunately I felt a little better after and decided that I would try to work. I popped a nausea pill, which I don't like to do because they make you drowsy and I headed to work. I never managed to get the momentum necessary to make it through this day. I tried to drink the crummies away with tons of water. I tried to eat the crummies away and nothing seemed to help. I ended up leaving a couple of hours early. The drive from Chino Valley to Prescott was perhaps the longest drive of my life, all I wanted was my bed and pillow. Upon arriving home I crawled into my air conditioned bed room only to sleep the sleep of a sick person.

The sleep was fitful, full of discomfort but the kind that is on the cellular level. It is hard to explain how I feel, not quite feverish, just generally unwell. The only thing that seems to help is time. I basically slept from about 3:oo until the next morning. I awoke Saturday feeling much better.

I forced myself to rally Saturday morning and take the kids to the 4th of July parade. I was on the fence whether I should go or not. The parade is usually steaming hot, a big no no for chemo patients and lots of sunshine another big no no. We would of course have to walk there and back and I don't have the strength to carry a kid if necessary. It seems like I am always having this conversation with myself "relax take care of yourself" or "live a little", I opted for the live. I made sure to stroll slowly to the parade. The weather was absolutely perfect, a slight breeze prevented us from overheating, and a sunhat that was more like a personal umbrella protected me from those wretched UV rays. I have these great beach chairs that sit low and have backpack straps, I packed down one for me and the boys carried our picnic blanket down for them to sit on. We took down some snacks and a couple bottles of water and were ready to jump in on the festivities. We found a little gap in people across the street from Cupper's which seems to be the general area I have always viewed this particular parade. We settled in and began spectating. Parade watching is one of my favorite spectator sports, you wave, you clap, you stand for military veterans, you cheer, you laugh, you get to see all our politicians and if your really lucky they will give you toothbrushes with there names printed on one side with "God Bless America" on the other. I don't really know what it is about parades that touches my heart, maybe it's the participants putting it out there to be a part of this community??? I love to see all the families come out to watch. I love the propaganda, I got a reminder to sign the boys up for soccer(I actually need this), an invitation to a gem show (free rocks for the kids), flyer for the Prescott BBQ days (I didn't even know this existed) and flyers and stickers for every politician running for office anywhere in the state of AZ. I love that they want to shake your hand, and that they want your vote. Now mind you I am not that easy and it takes more then a handshake to get my vote. I like to size up the politician, and the posse he brings with him. I could go on and on with my political parade theories but that is all they are theories. JD Hayworth was one of the heavy hitters for the parade this time around, and he looked even less trustworthy in the flesh. It takes a lot for him to pull that off but he managed it, I of course would have denied the handshake if I had been given the opportunity, but graciously accepted the toothbrush :) Then there is the candy thrown at the spectators, the kids love this part. The boys wave their American flags frantically anytime some one comes by with a basket of something in hopes that they will have candy. Once they get the attention of the very red faced parade walker, sometimes said person will run over for the candy hand-off, these are usually mature parade people who realize that hard candy can be lethal if thrown. Then there are the younger parade participants who just toss the candy in the general direction of random spectators, generally these tosses land a few feet shy and there is a frantic mob of children scrambling for any treasures. They are treasures for certain a blueberry dum-dum some how tastes better when bounced of the pavement. There is of course a certain amount of risk with being a spectator. My boys have scrambled out past the safe zone for a lone piece of candy, only to have a parade volunteer reprimand me about the dangers of large animals, and slow moving vehicles possibly squishing my children. It's a chance we take though, year after year. Parades are also about the anticipation, you never know what's coming down the road next and the Prescott 4th of July Parade is two full hours of fun.

I kind of went off on a little tangent there......

Did I mention it is also very important to drink water and breathe................