Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Yesterday was rough. I started the day okay. I got up and filmed a video with my seven-year-old, Mika, for her YouTube channel because she has a late start for school on Mondays. I started to feel a little queasy before we left to walk to school, but I figured it would pass quickly. Mika and I stopped on the way to school to walk with one of her friends, and I walked back with her friend’s mom.
The last few blocks home, when I was alone again and not distracted any more, the nausea started becoming more intense. “Great,” I think to myself, “the week I do not poison myself is the week I get sick.” By the time my helper arrived at 11:00 a.m., I was done. My helper put me in bed, and I sent her to the grocery store to buy grapefruit soda for me.
I can deal with all kinds of illnesses and work through them pretty easily, but nausea puts me in bed every time. Ever since my accident, 20+ years ago, it hurts me much more to throw up sitting up. And I usually make a much bigger mess sitting up. When I am lying on my bed, I can roll to the side and put my face directly in a bucket.
I am very wary of nausea recently. The last three times I have thrown up were each the result of a bowel blockage and each one landed me in the hospital with a tube up my nose (darn cancer complications). I do not even like much food, but when you cannot eat for several days even an ad for a cheeseburger looks good.
I would lay in my hospital bed and think nasty thoughts toward all the food advertisers. How dare Domino’s advertise while I have a tube up my nose or am still on a liquid diet after they removed it. Why is The Price Is Right putting Starburst candy in their grocery game? I had my older daughter, Megan, bring strawberry Starbursts to the hospital after that episode of The Price Is Right and one of the times I was placed back on a regular diet, I ordered mushroom pizza for breakfast.
I drink grapefruit soda when I get nauseous because it makes me burp quickly and a lot. I have discovered that getting gas out of my belly usually gets the nausea out too. I spent several hours yesterday feeling miserable, but never did actually throw up. Grapefruit soda wins again!
I still get to say my chemotherapy treatments have not made me throw up, and even if I had thrown up yesterday, it probably was not related to my chemotherapy drug. I have decided that even though my ovarian cancer will likely kill me (unless I get hit by a bus) the chemotherapy treatments for it are not awful, just time consuming.
I do not know how long the chemotherapy will keep me alive. Dr. Doom and Gloom said possibly a few years. It could be one, three, five, or whatever. The only number I floated was 20 years and he shot that number down as not possible. As long as I feel like I do now, I can keep on keeping on. I have finally kicked the never-ending cold and feel great today.
My piece of advice to you is to admit your Achilles heel. Nausea is my Achilles heel; it puts me on my back (or side). I fight it if possible, but I know I need to give up my day once it grabs a strong hold on me.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
Yesterday was rough. I started the day okay. I got up and filmed a video with my seven-year-old, Mika, for her YouTube channel because she has a late start for school on Mondays. I started to feel a little queasy before we left to walk to school, but I figured it would pass quickly. Mika and I stopped on the way to school to walk with one of her friends, and I walked back with her friend’s mom.
The last few blocks home, when I was alone again and not distracted any more, the nausea started becoming more intense. “Great,” I think to myself, “the week I do not poison myself is the week I get sick.” By the time my helper arrived at 11:00 a.m., I was done. My helper put me in bed, and I sent her to the grocery store to buy grapefruit soda for me.
I can deal with all kinds of illnesses and work through them pretty easily, but nausea puts me in bed every time. Ever since my accident, 20+ years ago, it hurts me much more to throw up sitting up. And I usually make a much bigger mess sitting up. When I am lying on my bed, I can roll to the side and put my face directly in a bucket.
I am very wary of nausea recently. The last three times I have thrown up were each the result of a bowel blockage and each one landed me in the hospital with a tube up my nose (darn cancer complications). I do not even like much food, but when you cannot eat for several days even an ad for a cheeseburger looks good.
I would lay in my hospital bed and think nasty thoughts toward all the food advertisers. How dare Domino’s advertise while I have a tube up my nose or am still on a liquid diet after they removed it. Why is The Price Is Right putting Starburst candy in their grocery game? I had my older daughter, Megan, bring strawberry Starbursts to the hospital after that episode of The Price Is Right and one of the times I was placed back on a regular diet, I ordered mushroom pizza for breakfast.
I drink grapefruit soda when I get nauseous because it makes me burp quickly and a lot. I have discovered that getting gas out of my belly usually gets the nausea out too. I spent several hours yesterday feeling miserable, but never did actually throw up. Grapefruit soda wins again!
I still get to say my chemotherapy treatments have not made me throw up, and even if I had thrown up yesterday, it probably was not related to my chemotherapy drug. I have decided that even though my ovarian cancer will likely kill me (unless I get hit by a bus) the chemotherapy treatments for it are not awful, just time consuming.
I do not know how long the chemotherapy will keep me alive. Dr. Doom and Gloom said possibly a few years. It could be one, three, five, or whatever. The only number I floated was 20 years and he shot that number down as not possible. As long as I feel like I do now, I can keep on keeping on. I have finally kicked the never-ending cold and feel great today.
My piece of advice to you is to admit your Achilles heel. Nausea is my Achilles heel; it puts me on my back (or side). I fight it if possible, but I know I need to give up my day once it grabs a strong hold on me.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.