(not necessarily in that order)
That super drowsy feeling can be explained in one word: Benadryl.
It’s one of the pre-meds they recently starting giving me as part of my treatment protocol. With early appointments it’s not such an issue, but today I didn’t take it until late afternoon and the drowsiness seems to be lasting forever.
Oh well, I guess I’ll sleep well tonight!
Yep. Added a new chemo med today and my body is definitely letting me know it’s working!
Went through a whole upper respiratory thing in about three hours — from tightness and slight wheezing in my chest; to congestion, sneezing, and red, scratchy eyes; to mild irritation in my throat; and now things are mostly returned to normal.
Interesting.
After all these months of cruising through treatment with hardly a side effect, it seems the time has come for more intense meds. Meaning the honeymoon might be over.
I’ve decided to share a bit of a health update here, since it’s become clear to people that there’s something going on… 🤔
A while back I was diagnosed with the Big “C”. It’s actually been a few weeks since I last wrote a health update; partly because there wasn’t anything significantly new or different to report, but also because I’ve been quite busy in other areas.
And therein lies the paradox of my life right now…
On the one hand, I feel (and, evidently, look) mostly normal. People see me singing for Sunday service or other events and have a hard time believing that I’m not completely well. That’s okay, because I have a hard time believing it myself!
The busyness I’m experiencing is largely because we’ve committed to doing our Good Friday Oratorio this year. True, it’s with a very small choir, but still…!
Although Oratorio is a big undertaking, we felt the strong inner guidance that this wasn’t the time for the music ministry to pull back, but rather to go for it. So, I’m definitely busier than I originally expected to be right now.
On the other hand, this is a serious illness and the treatment process is getting more varied and intense.
At the end of this month I’ll start two weeks of radiation. Then in early May we’ll meet with doctors to evaluate having a bone marrow transplant, which would mean time in the hospital and a significant recovery period.
So, my challenge right now is wrapping my mind around both of these realities at once: that I feel fine and filled with energy as I continue singing and serving through the music ministry, while at the same time I’m adjusting to the possibility of being out of action for longer than I can really imagine.
For now, it’s enough to keep taking things one step at a time, even while seeking to understand what it all means in the Big Picture.
In the meantime, I’m beyond grateful for all the prayers and good wishes. 🙏😊
When I first received my diagnosis I was relieved to learn that it was a “treatable” cancer.
In retrospect, I realize I had a somewhat fuzzy take on the word, “treatable.” It was associated in my mind with “treatment” in the sense of bodywork or other health and fitness practices.
Which is not surprising, considering I was rarely sick and never had a serious illness or broken bone or severe accident in my entire life!
Of course, my “treatment” horizons have greatly expanded in the past couple of months. I’ve been introduced to MRI’s, PET scans, biopsies, hematology, oncology, drug prescriptions, and chemo injections, with radiation and more still to come.
Quite a learning curve.