Getting the hang of it

I've figured out now what causes what. The oxaliplatin I get as an IV on Monday mornings makes me feel like crap for about 2 days. Tuesday night is the worst. Last week I was barfing my guts out, this week I took the anti-nausea stuff and was ok, but still a little queezy, and a LOT run down. Be Wednesday afternoon I was feeling pretty good, Wednesday evening I even worked out a bit on the elliptical. Today, Thursday, I feel great.

I also figured out how to take a shower with the port (fanny pack full of chemo hooked to a port in my upper chest that delivers the medicine directly to a vein just above the heart). The dressing isn't waterproof, so you have to cover it. Glad Press'n Seal Wrap works like a champ. It seals to the skin really well and is waterproof. It doesn't come off in the shower either. I had to mount a hook just outside the shower to hang the fanny pack on, too. This is a definite quality of life improvement.

I think I'm starting get some of the cold sensitivity from the oxaliplatin. I mentioned this to Ashley (my 14-year-old daughter) last night, so this morning she offered to start my car for me to warm it up. I thought that was very sweet, so I let her. My car is a stick shift, and you have to hold the clutch all the way to the floor to start it. But, it does have a tachometer, so you do get some indication that the motor is running. 15 minutes later, Ashley, Gloria (my 7-year-old), and I went to the car. Radio blaring, heater fan on high, engine not running. It was funny. Fortunately the car's relatively new and it didn't drain the battery. I guess Ashley needs a little more training :).