Friday into Saturday October 13/14 – Getting to “normal”

First, let me warn you, I’ll be getting graphic about bodily functions…

Friday was a good day, last day of the first cycle of chemo to take all the different anti-nausea meds, and I stopped taking the prophylactic Tylenol to counter effects of possible bone pain from the Neulasta.

I still don’t feel comfortable enough to feel safe driving myself around, so hubby again graciously agreed to shuttle me to the Oncology office to pick up leave paperwork that the Patient Advocate and filled out for me, and then head over first to my office, so I could pick up my lunch bag that I had left in my desk and to pay for a square that I “purchased” to support the Customer Service Manager’s daughter’s softball team.  They put together a chart to track scores during the playoffs and winners get a certain amount of return.  I always support her fund raisers.   After that I wanted him to take me by our dispatch satellite location where our HR is located so I could hand off all the FMLA paperwork.  And I could catch up with her on what has been going on in her life.  Son with some growing pain issues, that have been pretty serious, and her own medical issues with her Thyroid and the resulting traumas from that surgery that have been making her life miserable.

All stops were good, and it really helped  me feel more normal, but it did wear me out.  I fell asleep in the car on the way back.  But is was still very nice to add something normal to my day other than meds and feeling tired, and talking about Chemo.

When we got home I took the evening feeding of the cat, it was nice to sit outside with him for a few hours.  I have not done this since my first cycle of chemo started.

I was perusing Facebook later last night and ended up in a “Poke” war with two friends.  It was funny and making me laugh, but it was late so I had to post “I’ve had a nap, I can keep this up for about 5 minutes!”

Then I really did crash.  It was a day I didn’t have a bowel movement, and I was feeling pained, so asked Hubby to just hold me a while when we went to bed.  He didn’t ask any questions, just held me while we fell asleep.

This is where I start to get graphic…

I am a normally 2x a day bowel movement type person.  Since Tuesday, this has drastically changed to every other day.  And it hurts the days I don’t have a bowel movement.  It took me a long time to regulate my gut to two times a day.  I suffer from mild IBS with constipation, so worked with my doctors for years to get me to a comfortable place when it comes to pooping!  To make it worse, now when I do my pooping, it is ATOMIC poop!  OMG!!!  It overpowers EVERYTHING.  Poo-pourri doesn’t stand a chance against my now atomically chemo bathed, foul-stenched bowel movements.  It also overpowers the Febreeze air freshener sprayed after the fact and the double flush to rid the bowl of the extra amounts of Poo-Pourri added prior to sitting!

I think I’m going to have to add a HAZARD Placard to our front door as warning to any one who wants to visit on the days I can have a bowel movement.

So as fair warning, if you come visit on a pooping day, I have no control over this and I apologize profusely!

Today, we’re going to Costco… Rx’s to pick up, and hubby wants to replace the Microwave.  It’s stained beyond recognition, not even my normal explode a lemon in there cleans it up.  It still works, he just can’t stand looking at all the brown staining of the inside.  He also want’s a soft serve swirl.  Away we go!

Life is smelly!