Week 3, 48hrs has been such a wonderful experience. Last night I did not sleep well, and probably only managed about 2 or 3 hours of sleep. I had some things to take care of this morning so could not really sleep in or anything. Though this morning I felt fine for most of it. As the day crept on though I started to feel the tell tale signs that would disrupt me. Cold seeping in and the achiness that accompanies it. This evening we had some events to attend. I declined attending an event with friends at a restaurant because I knew that I would not make it. Mel’s grandmother has celebrating her birthday tonight as well and I told Mel that I would not be able to attend. Xavier said that he would obviously go to represent the family as it was his great grandmother and he only had one. I had taken a nap this afternoon and felt much better afterwards but I also understood my limitations. I had told Xavier that we would have jerk chicken for dinner tomorrow and I had not made the marinade yet. We had a short window to make it before Mel has to drop off Olivier at a party and she had to drive out all the way to Azilda. We made it as a family and as I struggle with taste a bit I had everyone else taste it and everyone seemed to like it. When we finished the marinade and added the chicken Mel left and I went to the bedroom to lie down. The key is to limit my movement and just lie there. I was doom scrolling and figured that I would just go to bed early but I was so tired I fell asleep, which was not a bad thing. What I have learned is that this 48hrs things hits hard. I took a Tylenol earlier to help offset some of the aching and took my temperature as well, which was fine. As Iay in bed I know that I made the right decision to limit my actions this evening. I made my choices and paid the price during the day which shortened my evening window. Mindset plays such a huge impact on all of this. I was able to get through the day as I had purpose and my energy was maintained. As soon as I finished everything my body told me I was done and I fell asleep. Now I am tired and aching but it is manageable and it does not bother me. In the future if there is something that I need to do within 48 hrs I will take the steroids and the sleeping pills to manage it. Tomorrow may be tough as well but it decreases as the days from treatment slip by. Textures of food bothered me far more yesterday then today. The strong flavours of jerk seasoning came through, but I could not tell the nuances in flavor. Perhaps tomorrow it will be fine, but if not then I know how to alleviate the discomfort and it will all be awesome. I feel like crap now, but today I learned how to manage it better.
My friends repeatedly tell me that I am strong for everything that I do and my attitude towards it all. I have a lot of assistance that makes things much easier. We had the IV equipment here for a while and it was getting picked up today. The boys took care of getting to the door and giving it to the person. They required a signature though so I said I would go and do it. Olivier helped me gather all of the ingredients required for me to make the marinade. I made a bit of a mess when marinating and contaminated various parts of the kitchen. Mel patiently went and cleaned up after me before she had to leave. Mel has been such a saint in the last year with all of the things that she has done for me without complaint. My weight keeps on slowly creeping up daily which suggest that I am slowly having ascites build up. It is a bit of a concern for me, but it has not impacted my day to day eating or comfort levels. What I appreciate from this all is that both kids will pick up the slack around the house now without complaint. If I ask for help it is given unconditionally from the kids. When there is something that they need to do, it is done to the best of their ability and at least with me they always assist me. I think that the kids have learned that helping each other is just something that we do. It does not matter how big or small the task is, or whether someone asks for help. You do what you can for the people around you. Our family always comes and helps with anything and I think that the kids see it as normal now. The lesson is show up the best that you can and give what you can.
QHM