Healthy Days

I'm feeling good. I'm healthy. And, the best part of it is knowing that chemo is not lurking around the next corner.

My twelve week cycle will be officially over Tuesday week. But, in my mind it's already done. I get so excited when I think about the fact that I have come to the end of chemo! It's amazing! While I made it through the low immune period unscathed, I have a strange itch on my chemo arm; where the chemo was received there is a tiny rash. It's terribly itchy. If the itch doesn't go away in the next couple of days, I will make a phone call. That's all, in terms of side effects.

The fatigue seems to have lifted. I have had a pretty busy weekend and it didn't take too much out of me. We had friends over on Friday night and watched a movie together. Then, we had an early start Saturday morning; doing crossfit. I did the Barbara workout (20 pull ups, 30 push ups, 40 sit ups and 50 squats - x5) in just under an hour. It's not the greatest time, but I absolutely enjoyed participating. Saturday night we watched the next episode of our favourite television show and then a movie. On Sunday, I watched others fish, went to the circus, did the grocery shopping (in person), cleaned the house and then had friends over in the evening. This is likely to be the biggest weekend I have had in three months!

Wearing a wig out in the sun, today, was not a good idea. As soon as I got to the car, I wrenched it from my head. It was gross to wipe so much sweat from my head. Yuk! I am so thankful that my chemo was received, and therefore my hair loss, in the cold months. Just as the weather is heating up, my hair is due to begin its return and I won't have to endure wearing a wig. Very good.

I have decided to begin my Whole30 the same day that I begin radiation. While we do eat paleo already, doing the Whole30 will mean that for 30 days I will not have bacon, sausages or dark chocolate (our only deviation). It won't be too different to how we currently eat. I will be eating completing clean. It will be a detox. I will document my meals and rad (cool word for radiation therapy) progress too. Right, I'm excited about that.

Cytotoxic Mumma

I had a most interrupted sleep last night. The night sweats woke me so often. My beanie was on for an hour and then it and the blanket were thrown off. How many times this went on, I do not know. Either way, too many times, for my liking. The last couple of weeks, I think I managed to sleep through the dance. But now, with the chemo affecting my sleep, I was up non-stop. That, together with the fatigue, made for one tired mumma, this morning.

My taste buds have been lying to me again. Food and drink that I should have enjoyed were gross. As always, I get the need for sustenance, so I forced the food down, together with my last day of chemo drugs! Much of the day was spent sleeping (and battling the hot and cold changes of course!).

The husband has fulfilled his vow to the tea. In sickness, he has helped me. What a treasure! His being at home today (and tomorrow) has been the best. He has run the house and allowed me the chance to simply rest, rest, rest.

At lunch, I was motivated enough to make a Decadent Fruit Dip from the Everyday Paleo website. It was great to be able to taste the strawberries and apple that I dipped. I don't know enough of the workings of taste buds to understand why some tastes remain and why others become so skewed. But there you go, I could taste the fruit and the dip. It was yum!

When I awoke from my afternoon nap, I desperately wanted to listen to music. Music has always been an escape for me. Whether it is me playing (not much time for it these days though) or listening. But what should I listen to? Then I thought of our Australia girl, Jess Mauboy. I searched youtube for, "What happened to us?" and played it over and over, real loud. It was then that I was reminded that this was the song I sang as I distracted myself in that very first invasive test; the fine needle aspiration, all those months ago.

Next post, I am going to reveal my Breast Cancer Soundtrack; the songs that I have listened to, on this journey. I got real excited, this afternoon, as I jotted down the songs that distracted me, gave me inspiration and the ones that helped me celebrate the little things.

The power of music. It can sooth the savage...chemo.