24 August 2023
Looks like two Imodium every 4 hours does the trick. No diarrhea since yesterday at 11:45 am. Small victories are important. Michel mentioned chem fog in way of explanation about missing my hydration infusion. I think she might be on to something. I certainly had chem fog from the first infusion in June. It is so unlike me to forget an appointment and if I remember correctly, I did a similar thing last June.
Speaking of June, I had my first chemo infusion on June 5th. The nurse said four days after the infusion would be my worse. On June 12th, I was admitted to the hospital with severe dehydration and kidney damage. She missed it by a few days. The reason I bring this up is my second infusion was on 21 August. Today is the fourth day after that infusion and I feel pretty good. Let’s see if I can stay out of the emergency room on the 28th. If so, I consider the new chemo regimen a winner.
I managed a 1.4 mile walk this morning. There was a nice breeze and at times, you could almost think it was getting a little cooler – either that or I was in some more chem fog.
Supposedly Salvador is coming today to work on the fence. Everyone who knows me knows I’m anal. I can’t stand to put off some repair or some thing that needs doing. In some ways, it’s a good thing and my property stays in pretty good shape. In other ways, it drives me crazy when I can’t get something done immediately.
My friend John showed up around 12:30 pm with a Wendy’s hamburger for me. I surprised myself and was able to eat the whole thing. I haven’t had a Wendy’s burger since I taught at Broward College in 2014. John stayed most of the afternoon and we caught up with each other’s lives.
Salvador showed up shortly after 12:30 and he and a co-worker got busy with the fence. They finally finished up around 3:45 pm. It was a hot afternoon and it was a lot of work to replace the 6×6 post and gate. He asked me to pay the Home Depot cost of materials and charged me $220 labor. Home Depot was around $68 and I gave him $300 for the day. I’ll definitely use him for any other home improvement projects. He works hard, is fair, and enjoys what he does for a living.
When I went out to check on Salvador’s final work, I noticed a box from The Fruit Company from Hood River, Oregon on my doorstep. It’s a gift box from Daryl and Bill. I was really pleased. I seem to have an appetite for fruit these days. I should have taken a photo of the packaging. It was done up in beautiful boxes in a pyramid and with ribbon. Instead, I was too eager to see the goodies.
I spent a night in Hood River on my way to North Cascades National Park. I love that area of Oregon along the Columbia River Highway built between 1913 and 1922. That area is the land of waterfalls and I’ve been through the area twice now and would gladly go back through again. Hood River is a cute little town with some cool cafes and restaurants and pretty much has a college town vibe.
Earlier in the day I texted Dr. Velez and told him the Imodium seemed to be working and if it held through the afternoon, I would cut back on the dosage. I also confirmed I would undergo the second chemo on Monday. He texted back “Sounds good!” Again, what doctors answer texts from patients these days?
Stay tuned!