Bald Barren And Boobless

An honest and comical reflection of my journey through breast cancer

Tag: tired

I Descend Into Toxic Town Hopefully For The Last Time

fatigue
I’m awake at 7 am it’s Sunday morning.  I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck.  No church for me today, I lay in bed until 12.  I was going to try and do lunch today with the conference, the VIP’s, but I’m just too tired.

Besides, I need to get ready for the school week ahead.  My local paper is coming for an interview tomorrow.  I’m so exhausted I need to manage my energy or I may get even sicker.  One thing I’ve learned over the past few months is that the more tired I am, the sicker I am.  And this can last for days.

I used to be so proud of how I could push through almost anything.  This illness, and more importantly the treatment, has taught me not to push any more.  I’m sure there will be a great life lesson in this somewhere.

I’m really keen to get through the really dark parts of the chemotherapy so I can truly begin to rebuild.  I’m excited because this time once I get past the really bad part of chemo, I won’t be having another treatment to pull me back down again.  That’s more exciting than I can put into words.

Today I have nausea, toxic hot diarrhoea, (what a pretty picture I am painting for you), headaches, bloating and such pain in my bones.  Oh, plus the heat, this unrelenting heat.

More Questions Than Answers

faith quote
This morning I was optimistic, I babysat my baby niece Eliza.  It was lovely to spend some time with her.  Thank goodness she’s not running around just yet so I can keep up.  After Eliza went home I had lunch with my sister.  It was a lovely catch up but I need a Nanna nap.

I saw my gynaecologist today and was told that I can’t have my ovaries removed at the same time as my breast surgery.  This really throws a spanner in the works as I really don’t want has too many general anaesthetics.  I need some direction from my doctors.  I refuse to panic. I’ve come too far to let panic take over now.  So Lord I give this to you and I know that you have it in your hands.

I’m really tired now and seek out my mattress to rest.  I wasn’t lying down too long before the kids came home from school.  Then the afternoon ritual begins, it’s not a huge amount but when you are operating on empty, sometimes even breathing seems too hard.  It’s about checking how the kid’s days were, considering what I will cook for dinner, working out what washing needs to be done and encouraging home work to be done.

By bedtime I am so achy and tired.  I’m so desperate to sleep that my good friends – Endone and Valium will be necessary.  So many decisions, so little energy to make them, some days everything seems too hard. I’m sure things will feel brighter in the morning.

Day 3 post chemo – I have entered the valley of the shadow

valley of the shadow So as I have said, I feel like I have entered the valley of the shadow of death.   Don’t worry folks, I don’t plan on staying here. I have not slept at all well through the night. I am in so much pain I just cant get comfortable. My whole body hurts.

I’ve only felt something similar when I was involved in a head on collision many years ago and every part of my body felt bruised and battered. This is similar but with a toxicity like a 24 hour bug from hell.

The bone pain in my legs back and hips is unexplainable. My head is hot and fuzzy, my body is stiff and my entire digestive tract feels bloated and inflamed. Like my system is screaming at me “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!”

I was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat as I feel weak but am scared to upset my system any more. Samuel my quirky gorgeous 12 year old son enters the kitchen and says “Ohh mum your hair has started to fall out!” In my own mind scream, “Not know I am so not ready.” The look on my face must have been priceless, as he soon tells me he is only joking. Oh kool, hah hah love, that’s so funny!!! NOT!

So now I feel paranoid as well as like I have been struck by the toxic avenger. It reaches 11am and I am required to give myself an injection. The injection is to protect my body from dropping too low in the blood count. The nurses showed me how to do it on the first chemo day. They give you the option to come in for 5 days and have it or you can do it yourself.

Guess what I chose? Yeah, don’t want to be a burden, I am far too practical as well, so how hard can it be? The actual injection itself is not hard, you stick yourself in the tummy and you push the syringe then you take it out, Simple!

I know what it feels like, sometimes when you get just the right angle you hardly feel it, its great. Other times you get the wrong angle, and it can really sting and burn. So here I sit counting “1, 2,   3”…nope. Again, “1, 2, 3”…nope. Again, “1, 2, 3”…nope. Now I am getting frustrated with myself, “Kylie JUST DO IT!!!!”

So I do. Funny, it’s nowhere near as bad as I think, a little sting but ok. Man it is such a battle of the mind! I feel slightly proud of my delayed bravery.

The day progresses and I just get worse; the toxic avenger has turned into a freight train that has run me over. Everything hurts; even blinking is hard. I fall into bed and stay there. All of the pain is horrendous, my head and body is hot and buzzing with toxicity. I pray for sleep, please come and swallow me into your peaceful embrace.