Monday, June 28, 2010

I'm Fuzzy!


The hair's comin' back. I think my "moon face" is starting to recede too. I can see my ears!

NOTE: If you're putting false lashes on and you drop one vertically over your open eye, don't panic and squeeze your eyes shut! It makes it hard to find that set of lashes if you can't see them, glued to your eyeball and all. Stings a little.

First day back from vacation. Taking the day easy.

Had my first radiation treatment. It could not have been easier! They take you back into this room with a bed (more like a padded, narrow, re-positionable platform). There's a machine that rotates around the bed with a "camera" that looks like a metal serving tray and the radiation device (which reminded me of a big metal MixMaster without the beaters. Ok, so it looks nothing like a MixMaster). The techs line you up with the machine's cross-hairs, flick a switch then run from the room in terror (kidding - they exit calmly) and you're don in 60 seconds.

I have a chest cold. Coughing, chest congestion, gravelly voice that fades in and out... did I mention the coughing?
It's funny:
Chemo - easy
Cold - OH! WOAW-IS ME!!!!!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Tired of the Weepy Eyes

I'm hoping this symptom will pass soon. It's been a few weeks and I'm getting tired of it.

Before my eyes were just watery all the time. But now it seems like the chemistry has change. My tears are thicker and sticky. And when I close my eyes for a while, the tears thicken into greeny eye boogers. Yuck. I haven't had eye snot since I was a kid.

When I wake in the morning my eyes are sometimes crusty but definitely blurry. I can't always see anything in them. It's like my tears have formed a transparent film over my irises that's fuzzy to look through. A couple eye drops help to break that up so I can see again. But then the watering starts and my poor eyelids are so rubbed red and swollen! Not a good look for me considering I don't have any lashes or brows. Getting tire of this alien look too!

Must remember to call Ester tomorrow at the hospital.

Went Painting

Sheep Painted Over Baby's Crib

I was a bit worried about how this project would go. Painting is a lot of work. I made it through though. I'm always amazed at the energy I get from painting. Once I get started it's like the act of painting is meditative. My mind my wander occasionally, but for the most part the only thing I am thinking about is the act of painting - selecting a colour, contrasts, steadying the hand for a perfect line.

This project took just over 5 hours (I had guessed 3 but obviously I'm not working at full speed.) I wasn't tired on the job site, but by the time I got home, I was exhausted. It was a lot of effort to remain standing in the shower. My legs felt like they weighed a ton! I spent the rest of the evening vegetating on the couch.

The customer was thrilled with the final project. "Better than I ever imagined it could be!"

That makes me happy.