Day 252 - The Day After

Well, I will definitely contest to the fatigue factor! I finally fell asleep around 0100. I set the alarm for 0400 to get up & take my anti-emetic. It would have helped if I had turned the alarm on after I set it! Thankfully my internal clock was paranoid & I woke up at 0420!

I set the alarm for 1000 & double checked that it was indeed turned on! I woke up 2 minutes before the alarm went off. I lazed around for an hour or so & then climbed in the shower. I was feeling a bit feverish, but according to the thermometer I was not – thank goodness.

When they shatter your immune system with chemo, your body doesn’t pick up germs & colds like the regular person. No sneezes, no sniffles, no aches, just a raging fever & when that hits, you’re in BIG trouble! The tell you to go straight to the nearest emergency room!

I took a Tylenol & it seemed to help. I had already drank 1L of water by noon. My cousin Joleen, her husband Doug & their three children, Addison, Rhett & Nate showed up for lunch & a quick visit. They are from Saskatchewan & had traveled to Fairmont for a holiday.

I absolutely love their kids. They are some of the sweetest, most polite & well behaved children I have ever met.  They are 5, 3 & 1. Nate, the youngest, was SO EXCITED to see the dogs. They were trying to feed Nate (Doug & Joleen, not the dogs) some yogurt, when Nate had to sneeze, mid-excitement & mid-bite. It was a Yoplait shower all around!

Mom had made a beautiful salad for lunch & garnished it with some edible flowers. Addison & Rhett thought that was pretty neat, although they were a little reluctant to eat them!

After lunch we all went for a walk in the woods. Addison stepped smack dab in the middle of a cowpie. It was crusty on the outside, fresh in the middle – how I like my cookies, come to think of it! She asked me what it was & when I told her, she quickly notified her Mom of the nice green stuff on her pretty pink shoes! The next drama came when we stopped to take a photo of our group & somebody bumped into an anthill. Poor Addison ended up with ants all over her feet! Luckily they weren’t the biting kind! Poor girl!

We finished the rest of the walk unscathed & they hit the highway for the city to visit some more friends & family. Mom & I came inside & we both laid down for a nap. I slept until 1900 when she woke me up to see if I wanted to go to prayers. Of course I said yes. At least my mind did. My body was a little hesitant. My limbs felt slightly detached & ‘floaty’ but away we went.

It was great to be back in the Prayer Group. I miss the ‘embraced’ feeling of being surrounded by so many wonderful prayers & the knowing that I’m asking for direct guidance or help for myself & others. We always have a few good laughs too… Kevin told me tonight that YouTube bought out Twitter & Facebook. It’s now going to be called YouTwitFace. Ha ha ha. I was howling on that one! :o)

Mom & I left around 10 & I was feeling kind of warm. We stopped at Shopper’s Drug Mart to buy a better thermometer & a large bottle of Tylenol. Sure enough, I took the measurement & it was 38.4 with a little red unhappy face. I was pretty worried, so I called the hospital straight away & Dr. Owen called me back promptly. She told me not to worry about it just yet, as my WBC wouldn’t be low enough to cause any alarm. She said it was probably something viral & to take some Tylenol for it. If it didn’t change in the next day or so, give a call again. Phew! No dramas please!

We motored the rest of the way home, spotted a dog running in the clouds & went straight to bed. When was the last time you found shapes in the clouds? It had been a long time for me, but that little doggie jumped right out at me! Ears back & tail straight out the back too! Nice way to end the night.

Tomorrow will be preparing for the par-tay. I’m excited to see everyone & looking forward to a fun evening of close friends! Lotsa love & hugs…

Maria & Valentina

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Chatting with Jaco while the pooches snooze.

Doug, Addison & Valentina read a book.

On a nature walk.

Checking out the ant hill.

Family Photo of the Steel's!