August 31, 2017 Thursday
I slept fairly well last night but again, I got up several times during the night to go cough stuff up, but I was able to go back to sleep fairly quickly each time. I had plenty of time for a good breakfast before lab so I took my time and enjoyed my morning.
Lab was a humbling time for me today – made me realize how very lucky I am. One man in there and I talked while we waited for things to happen to us and he told me about his pancreatic cancer and how it had come back and attacked his stomach lining and how he was having to take so much anti-nausea medicines that he was having stomach cramps and lots of other issues. He then told me about what good care his wife gave him until she died of a heart attack in March!!! Now he’s by himself and hoped he wouldn’t pass out or throw up as he drove himself home today after the shot he was getting!!! Poor guy.
I also talked to an older couple Sue and I met at the last chemo day. Since then, the man had fallen and he had a terrible black eye – that must have hurt badly. He looked so weak and pitiful.
They made me feel positively healthy, even with my rattling cough and frog voice!! Anyway, my numbers were good and I had no fever and the PA listened to my chest and said it was still clear. I asked where all this gunk I’m coughing up comes from and she didn’t know. She said I am a real mystery. She doesn’t think I have an infection but she and the doctor decided to give me some perls to make my throat feel better. Since I have developed this pain in my side, probably pulled a muscle from all the strenuous coughing, she said I should consider taking dayquil to cut down on the coughing, but I feel that I should get that stuff up and out, not just tamp it down. Since tomorrow leads into Labor Day Weekend, I may go to my regular doctor in the morning if I am not any better. I am coughing less often but still way too much. My side really hurts most of those coughs. I’ll certainly take the perls and maybe consider dayquil. I’ll just see how I feel tomorrow.
After seeing the doctor I went to Kroger but they had to order the meds (which I was able to pick up about 8 pm) and met my neighbor from across the street. Turns out her son has colon cancer and is going to the same place I am. I think he’s about in the same place I am with chemo treatments. Biggest difference is that when he leaves on chemo day, he wears a bag home that continues injecting chemo meds into him for two more days!!!! Yikes!! He must be in really bad shape because he has lost 125 pounds (from 300 to 175) since this began and is very unsteady on his feet. It’s a really good thing he has his mother there to take care of him. I know she must be worried.
For the rest of today, I did nothing. I didn’t even feel up to having the tv on in the background and that is quite unusual for me. I just don’t want any noise or anything weighing me down – I’m just not up to it. I did go out to Red Lobster with some friends and that was a nice time. Two of my former students were working there and we had some nice, short conversations. It’s so nice to see these adults that I knew as seventh graders.
Tomorrow, I hope to be feeling better and able to sew some. I’m really tired of being tired. I really do realize how very, very lucky I am to have nothing to complain about except being tired, believe me. I guess I should just shut up about it and push on through to some sewing or something – maybe that’s what I’ll do. Time will tell.
morning weight – 217
Melanie's Journey Through Cancer 