Sideswiped

The effects of immunotherapy are both similar and different from traditional chemo. The differences are blatantly obvious: no violent nausea, no hair loss, no aching bones or obvious signs of illness.  If it works, the signs and symptoms are subtle. This translates frankly to more worry and concern. In someways, if you have physical manifestations of poisons at work in your body, you know that something is happening. The contrast is when you feel a little bit lousy you don’t know who or what to blame. So whatever gets between you and what you thought you wanted to do gets the flak. Most of the time completely undeserving. But then, I have never been really good at recognizing limits, physical pain or the proper time to sit down and shut up.

If you don’t believe that last sentence – just ask my family and they will confirm that when I lose it the antecedent is normally unrecognized physical discomfort (ok, pain) or hunger or both.

So there I am, poking at completely tender ribs and trying to decide if I should be worried, take some tylenol or just drink some more coffee. Oatmeal and the coffee won out along with a dose of tylenol which pretty much settled things for a while. Then I thought about things seriously and realized that one of my friendly pre-medications is cortisone. In IV form (which is how it is administered) it is pretty much cleared in 12 hours or so. Bounce up – bounce down. Maybe = crabby the next day?

In any case, it was time to get over myself, run errands with Shana and get back to my cross-stitch.

5 Jan 2017. Technically another three rows finished

where you can see the red pin from where I left off yesterday. Means 18 rows to go, several of which should be quick. The rest unfortunately are going to be single stitches again.

The set

George and I went to the Berkeley Rep this evening to see 946; The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. The play is based on a story set off the coast of England in WWII. The performing company is Kneehigh out of Cornwall in the UK. It was excellent.  Had I known the subject matter, I would not have gone. I don’t do war movies, plays, combat simulations and other takes on bloody reality. Done my turn in the various combat zones and feel absolutely no need to return, relive or examine. Your mileage may vary.

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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6 Responses to Sideswiped

  1. Cat says:

    You sound normal to me – when people say someone “never complains” I find it hard to believe.

  2. April says:

    So you did not like the content, but the job done on it was good ?
    Have a good weekend!

  3. Pat says:

    Smart insights on discomfort.

  4. Ann says:

    What do they say about doctors being patients? Keep on fighting.

  5. Janet says:

    Don’t underestimate the ups and downs of steroids.

  6. Holly says:

    yes, well it took crabbiness x 3, a good look at things, reminders from Alison and you to admit the “What? Me? Solu-Cortef 100 mg? – oh DUH!” light bulb to go on…

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