Chills and ill

Looking forward to spring

Hey there, it’s me, Kathy.

How was your week? Mine was another crappy experience. The week was going good but I am still dizzy, still tired and still wrapped in blankets because I have the chills.

Everything was going well until Sunday night. I woke up around 3 a.m. and went to the bathroom. I really had to go but, no, my body said, ‘nope, not today, you had it too good this week, I think I’ll make the next couple of days awful for you.’ I had three cups of Restoralax and … nothing. That was followed by a small enema the VON gave me. Still nothing.

Then I remembered my senna leaf tea.

I can sit down today. My senna leaf tea is now sitting on the counter next to the stove, not in the cupboard. Every time I use my senna tea I want to hug Sharon.

It looks like winter snow has finally come. Just think, that means we are getting closer to spring.

I have to get my chemo next week again and then I have to get a full body scan to see if the chemo is working – I sure hope it is. Weight wise, I am at 147.

Pain-wise, in my left shoulder the pain level is at 10.

I still have a few spots in my left eye but not as bad as it was before the laser.

Every time I go to get my chemo there are new people. The fear in the new people’s eyes is understandable. It reminds me of the fear that I carry around. You are never out of the clear. It’s always in the back of your mind. You get a pain and you wonder, is this it?

I went to the flea market alone this week and Carol and Betty came to help me. I don’t know what I’d do without them. Dad and Janet didn’t come over this week – they thought that the storm was coming, but it passed us by, which was a good thing.

There is nothing worse than losing your hair in the winter and going six months without it. You are counting the months for chemo to be over – usually it’s six months and then radiation and your hair starts to grow in and you don’t lose your hair.

The VON comes to see me twice a week to check on me – that’s a good feeling.

For those of you just starting to read my column I’ll fill you in a bit. I grew up in Glace Bay. I now live in New Glasgow. When I was 46 I got breast cancer. You’re thinking now, well how old are you now? Ha, 60 – I like the number and that I’m still around to tell about it. I went in remission for five years and I was so happy it was gone, then my arm got sore and it was back in my sternum. It went in my spine, we killed that, but now it’s in another part of my spine and in my hips and a lot of other bones but the only organ affected is my liver. I did have it in my brain but they used laser to kill it. I hope it’s gone. I will know if it’s gone when the body scan is done.

So keep your fingers crossed, I’ll fill you in on more next week. I’m still not back to par from Christmas. I missed Christmas. They think I had the new flu. Anyway, I felt awful, even my cancer never makes me feel that sick.

Have a good week – and watch out for the children playing on the snow banks on the side of the side of the road.