Diet Diary - Day 17

May 10, 2002
      Day 17 Thursday May 2, 2002 Chemo Day

     And I am up by 6:30 AM for the chemo day. I am bleery-eyed and stumbling around. I got to sleep about 2:00 AM after I got up and made tea. It did not rain (has for the past two nights) and is not as cold. This is a good sign. It had poured while we shopped at Sears the day before and been hot and stuffy yesterday.
     
      Checked email and found a lot less spam and made yet more filters for those that got through. It is finally getting down under control a bit. It had reached 50-60 spam emails a day! Enough already! Bad as the telemarketers. They are why my son got a new phone with an answering machine. Why I am updating my phone and answering machine. Filter out these people! They even leave messages on the answering machines! Digital machines allow you to skip and delete. Ha! My daily rant.
     
      I am folding laundry. (3 loads on the floor is the magic limit. That and he runs out of underwear.) And dishes. Of course. Because I will shower shortly because my hair is totally unruly today and I don't wash it everyday. Reminds me that I must get shampoo and conditioner (Volumizing) from QVC. Good for those of us with thinning hair.
     
      Need to make that CD now we got the "ending" photo. Come to think of it - I want the one with him strutting beside the truck in his new clothes and that's still in camera. Perfect ending to "Through a Mother's Eyes".
     
      During the last job interview, they asked me point blank - "Why aren't you a movie producer?" Scary. Because I am toying with that? "Through a Mother's Eyes". would be a perfect documentary. So I had best look into grants and see if that is a possibility. People often see things in me before I see them in myself. I am trying to learn to listen to them.
     
      2:00 PM We get home from chemo. The hospital stay was short and we were in the Stanford Mall by 10:45 AM to kill time. My son is limping (3rd day heavy walking) so we are slow and taking our time. I look at Easy Spirit but don't see anything like the soon-to-be-worn-out sandals. We stop for coffee (me) and lemonade (him). At the hospital I had had my cafe mocha decaf low fat no whip double and he had a V8Splash. This coffee was an iced decaf, plain. I have a Biscotti. We head over to Cisco and my older son, where we are to have lunch. We are early and relax in the lobby.
     
      When he comes, he is behind schedule and so just goes for coffee. I have another mocha thing, my younger son has a Chai tea like his brother. By now I am coffee-overdosed, decaf or not. I also had a small square of Giradelli caramel-filled chocolate. My older son had waved it at me. So helpful.
     
      Once home, I run to strip down to shorts (van was warm when the wind was not blowing) and cooked ravioli for lunch. We were starving. I also had a banana and a few Jordan Almonds. I am tired (early morning) and disoriented and have a pile of bills to sort. When I stop sneezing and suffering from the coffee-sugar overload. The younger son got on IRC Chat and talked with his brother. I heard the giggles.
     
      Chemo this week is 50% of the former rate. (The 6MP vial carries the toxic biohazard label. They forgot to put it on the vial. I reminded them. We love the label. "Here, this is a toxic biohazard material, take it.")
     
      5:00 PM We are tired because we are not used to being up at the crack of dawn. I sorted the mail, laid out the bills (groan) and made plans. Then I turned on "That Touch of Mink" and got irritated. Movies made in that generation! Cinderella with a 50's suit on. Too much! Prefer Bridget Jones.
     
      The neighbor is chopping up his driveway and we have windows open. The dog is going crazy. I periodically tell her to be quiet. I need to curl up and read a bit so I can doze off. I need a nap. My son says that his energy level is low. Probably why I am snacking on JellyBelly jelly beans and sipping lots of Crystal Light. I give him a Lean Pocket and a drink as well. Dehydration. We tend to drink a lot in this weather. It's hot. It's cold. It's windy. It's sunny. It's cloudy. It's driving me crazy.
     
      8:00 PM Supper was leftovers - leftover salmon, leftover veggies with a fresh microwaved mashed yam for variety. My son does not feel well, usual for the shots he had today. It is cold outside again and I am very tired. I think we both are. I worked on a new chapter for my novel. Little Bit (or Little Bitch as we call her) is rubbing herself on my bare feet. Strange cat.
     
      10:00 PM Have a bad headache. Probably tired. Time for bed. Son has taken 6MP for the evening. (2 hour fast before and 1 hour fast afterward.) After several attempts, gave up and read. GCSF shots resume tomorrow.