At Gettysburg on Labor Day
Chemo round 9 was on August 29th. I did fairly well and was quick to bounce back to my “new normal”.
The week before was a little rough. I found myself dehydrated and that really took a toll on my body. I was unsteady on my feet and my energy level was extremely low. When I went in for treatment on the 29th the nurses gave me an extra bag and a half of fluids. It was amazing how the extra fluids helped me return to this “new normal” I am learning to live with.
I find myself frustrated with the reality that I am about half the man I used to be. My stamina is very low and I get tired so easy it is often disheartening. This Sunday we had a luncheon after church. At the end of the meal I was sitting in my chair thinking about getting up. I was not debating whether I wanted to get up…I was planning how I would move from my chair to an up right position. One of the women at the table has walked closely with someone with Cancer. She was watching what I was doing, just sitting and thinking. She commented, “He is debating how he will stand up…give him a moment.” She was 100% correct. Her past journey allowed her to see what others at the table could not. I laughed and began the process of standing up.
Saturday afternoon I looked out in my backyard and saw five or six logs that needed to be split for the fireplace. I boldly went outside, fought my way up to the shed, got the maul and went over to the logs. Two logs and six swings of the maul later I was done. I put the maul down and headed for my chair. The rest will be taken care of later. A few short months ago I spent an afternoon outside with my maul. We attacked a large maple tree and split close to forty large pieces of wood before taking a break. I am not half the man I used to be. [Read more…]
