Thursday, September 9, 2010

Getting Tired From Rest

No matter what, you are tired when you get home from vacation.  Whether you climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro or sat on a hammock in St. Barts, you always come home tired.  Why is that?

I would not consider my recent 5 day/4 night stay at Emory a vacation, but it was a a trip that entailed a whole lot of laying around.  Despite that, I find myself so incredibly tired now that I am home.  But I am home, and with that comes so many of life's luxuries, such as showering and rolling over.  I spent the rest of Tuesday after discharge getting prescriptions filled ( how do you keep all these pills straight grandma!?), and picking up some groceries with mom and dad. I finally got to relax a little on Wednesday when I spent the day trying to catch up on rest and meds in order to stay ahead of the side effects. With that being said, I am still here waiting to see what each day brings in terms of side effects.  The doctors have said that days 7-10 will be the ones where I will feel the weakest and most sick, so if the schedule stays true than that will be this coming Tuesday - Thursday.  I am hoping that the side effects pass me by, but I am ready for whatever is in store just the same!

I spent most of this morning waiting on a FedEx shipment from CVS that included my post chemo shots.  The point of these is to take them within 48 hours of the end of your chemo cycle.  These shots trigger your bone marrow to start producing white blood cells that will then help keep your cell count high during the valley days (~7-10 after treatment).  Finally the big refrigerated box arrived this morning and I went about the process of trying to figure out how to shoot myself up with a needle.  Due to the fact that I haven't spent much time with Roger Clemens or Amy Winehouse, I was admittedly a little skid-dish about my first self-administered injection.  I did find the directions helpful (do dealers provide these?), and I was able to stick the needle into my right abdominal, it really didn't hurt (perhaps because of the lack of muscle?), so that was a relief, seeing as how I will have to do this 5 more times between now and the end of the year.

So once you get over the hurdle of administering the shot, the next natural step (as with everything in this process) is to understand the side effects.  For this particular drug they told me to expect sever joint pain in about 24 hrs.  This is because the blood cells are manufactured in the joints, so the pain is caused by the triggering of cell generation.  The other side effect is "you may feel crazy"...  That seems pretty vague, don't you think?  If "crazy" should hit me, I hope it hits me like the anesthesia did after the biopsy, when I broke into the them song for "California Dreams".  Have any requests?  The only other thing I can ask is please don't hold it against me if you see me in a crazy daze running down Howell Mill in nothing but my reverse snuggie (bath robe).

But seriously though, I have gotten through the first few days really well, and thank you to everyone who has checked in on me since discharge.  I was even able to come into the office this afternoon and catch up with all my coworkers, who have just been a tremendous support group for me during this battle.  I can't begin to thank the entire AMP Team at The Home Depot enough for what they have meant to me. 

For the record, Dawgs 24 - USC 13

Michael

9 comments:

  1. If you start feeling crazy, call me. I am right there with you. Just ask Tom.

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  2. I second what Elizabeth said. I'm available as well.

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  3. Dawgs will roll big time! Hope you continue to feel better.

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  4. Gee Michael, I remember your Phil Mickelson day at the BellSouth Classic. You were considered so CRAZY that you got a national commercial with very nice residuals. So, your entrepreneurial spirit will kick in to find a way to utilize any new found craziness to your advantage. In fact it is a great excuse to get away with an awful lot of things. I can hardly wait to hear!

    I am grateful you have the courage to lean on your friends and family when necessary. Cancer doesn't stand a chance against all of us! Thanks for your latest post!

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  5. Michael,
    I agree with your Dawgs prediction. What about the Atlanta Falcons versus the Steelers? I know your a Cowgirls fan, but if I recall, you still follow the Falcons.
    Falcons are favored by 2.5. Leanne, Ryan, Kristen & I are going to the game. We will be thinking about you, but rooting for the Steelers (without your ex-neighbor: Worthless-berger). He even made everyone forget about Michael Vick!
    On a serious note, we are all inspired by how positive you have remained. Keep the informative & entertaining Blogs coming!

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  6. Mrs. Sapp,

    An excellent point about the old Phil commercial, haha.. Perhaps I owe him a call during all this?!

    Great to hear from you Belisarios! I hope all is well up in Ohio... My dad is getting a bit cocky on the Falcons chances against the Steelers, so should yall win don't hesitate to rub it in his face. My two years in Nashville endeared me to the Titans, so I am excited about our showdown with the Steelers in week 2, so get ready for a grudge match.

    Thank you all for the support, it warms my heart to hear from yall! Best of luck with everything this Fall!

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  7. It doesn't get much crazier than owning a snuggie . . . jus sayin' :)

    And if you could please try to sing the theme song from "Saved By the Bell: The College Years" next time you are dazed and confused, that would be swell. I know A.C. Slater's mullet would appreciate it . . .

    --Maridi

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  8. I love the line about Clemons and Winehouse. That is comedy gold.

    Hope all goes well these next few days. Enjoy the comforts of home and take it easy.

    My prediction - Dawgs 17 Chickens 14 (I like Grantham's demeanor)

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  9. Michael,
    Just caught up on your blog - after I stop laughing, I will start praying for you this coming week! Specifically that the side effects would be minimal and that you can continue to recover comfortably at home. Keep up that spirit! It is such a blessing.
    Allison Guyer

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