Story 29Jan2022: Cycle 1 day 2, Games and Side-effects

Starting with the now (Sunday), I am up at 6ish to take the steroids. I managed to sleep for five or so hours. I have to get up early and take the “bees in my bloodstream” pills early, so they are mostly over when I finally sleep about 1ish. Unfortunately, the area has an air-stagnation warning, and the coughing and wheezing are back. So waking at 6 AM, which was to just take the pills, has begun as my start as lying down just makes the wheezing worse. Also, nausea reappeared, so I took the zombie-causing 1/2 pill for that and an anti-allergy drug. All with the drowsy side effect. So I will see how we do on this blog.

Back to the blog story, Saturday started with me getting up after having no sleep the whole night. I was wired and had some stiffing-muscle side effects. Likely the other chemo drug, Capecitabine, was now impacting me. I take this drug twice a day for 14 days. Nausea was also joining me in the morning, and thus I took the steroid at 6 AM and 1/2 a bill of the anti-nausea drug. The cold sensitivity was going full-blown, and slippers are needed; thank you, Linda (my sister), for the new slippers, as my toes began to burn when I forgot them.

Full kitchen mittens to get out a frozen bagel. The surprise was burning my fingers on the room temperature knife to spread the schmear on it after toasting. Coffee was made with some issues as I use cold water in the machine.

As the morning goes on, the stiffing happens in my hands and jaw, making eating and enunciating more challenging. My arms are also showing issues. My knees start to lock too.

I am getting up too early–6AM, taking the allergy med, the zombie-inducing anti-nausea med being just co; I sit in the chair with a blanket and stay there for a few hours, actually sleeping for two or three minutes. Then, I nod off, and then I wake up immediately as the steroid is still running me at full speed.

Thusly, the blog is not getting done. I gave up a chance to play Twilight Imperium at Richard’s, which appears to be a wise choice. I also need to pick up my copy of the new Kickstarter of a new game Unsettled. Mariah was taking me there by piloting Air Volvo to Vancouver, Washington, just across the river from Portland.

I was going to visit Susie today, but the total lack of sleep and the impact of the chemo makes this an unwise choice. I called the facility and talked to Susie’s nurse, Alex. Susie had breakfast and was sleeping a lot. She is also sleeping at night; Susie often mixes up her days and nights, so I was worried. I tell Alex to tell Susie I am OK, but I will not make it in today. Mariah has agreed to visit today in my place, and that is explained to Susie.

Mariah and I push the trip to Vancouver until late morning. I am not ready, and there was some black ice in Forest Grove, and Mariah wants the ice to melt more.

My first shower with extreme cold sensitivity showed that only my toes and fingers were impacted. So many jokes there. I also have some issues in my throat, mouth, and nostrils I have already learned. No cold drinks and no cold food. Do not breathe in cold air.

My hands are shaking and are stiff. No razor this morning.

Mariah will see Susie after our trip. We travel in Air Volvo, Mariah driving, without incident and little Saturday lunchtime traffic, and I only saw a few bits of creative driving from a, of course, Subaru. We reach the place, a nondescript building, and pick up my game. Two and 1/2 years wait for this one.

I make a faux pas. I buy two more add-ons more planets to explore, and when they show me the tax, I think it is the change for using cash and letting them keep it. I am out of state, so I do not have to pay it anyway, but they politely let it go. I felt terrible when I got the electronic receipt and saw what they were really talking about. I sent an offer by email to make amends. I reside in the no sales-tax haven of Oregon. I also never use cash, usually in Washinton, as these things sometimes happen with money.

We head to food place Beaches, the last one now, on the Columbia River. I have their fantastic house salad with chicken and hot tea, nearing committing the next faux pax of ordering an ice-cold Gin and Tonic. This would have violated the anti-nausea med restrictions and likely sent me into a breathing issue. Mariah liked the place; this was her first time and had their ribs. These were the more southern standard heavy meat ribs, which surprised her as she usually gets baby-backs that are more cooked and chewy. We shared a key lime pie, of course.

The salad was just below room temperature, but my mouth did feel funny from eating it. Likely cold food, as I already mentioned, is out. I had hot tea, which made the difference; sipping tea while eating. I often now have a glass of warm water next to me at home.

Mariah flew Air Volvo back to the Volvo Cave, home, without incident, and traffic was close to non-existent. So she headed off to see Susie, and I remained home.

Mariah spent 90 minutes or so and sent this lovely pic:

Later, I opened the box of Unsettled, showed the game to Corwin, and then laid down to read. I managed a page of rules and was then asleep. Corwin, who had no plans for Saturday, wanted to try it out. The first planet is folks facing a planet full of plan toxins, and you might have to be a fungus host to survive the planet. Corwin liked this first theme.

Michelle Vondenkamp, from Nike via Meal Train, provided dinner for us tonight; we enjoyed a Cosco colossal shepherd’s pie with good bread. Corwin got this going after cleaning out all the half-used, mostly condiment containers accumulated in the frig.

As usual, I started something to watch for dinner, the old Airport movie. It is still funny and wrong and terrible. The tobacco use and stupid jokes still make you smile.

Corwin commented on using a cane, and first I demurred, but soon the stiff knees and now stiff made it the right thing to do. So I use a cane now.

I turned off Airplane, and Corwin cleared off his working table, which is likely a bit small for the game, and I went off to reread the rules, lying down and managing another five pages. The game has twenty pages of rules and then sections for questions and conflicting rules. Finally, at 11ish, we started assembling and punching the game; it is now a used game (eBay selling unused copies for $259).

We tried to play a turn or so. I need to finish reading the rules as much of what we are doing is at the end of the rules. I usually watch a few videos too. This ran me to 1ish Sunday morning. A cough, quite bad, started, and my muscles began freezing up, making the chair uncomfortable with my back unlocking and refreezing in different positions. Quite a strange feeling, like a crashed android/robot system running my back.

Went to bed and fell asleep.

Returning to Sunday and writing, I am later than I like with this blog entry, but I did sleep for 90 minutes in the chair this morning. I also have to admit I stopped and watched First United Methodist Church in Beaverton try out their first live stream on YouTube.

Please click HERE  at 10:30 AM Sunday.

They did good, and the issues are the same I have seen on many 100+ person streams, including the licensing issues. And most important, it was not Zoom+ which is hard for many to make run and comes with so many security issues.

Thanks for reading, and I am using the cane this morning. It is hard to get started, and there are sudden moments when my responses are fighting more gravity than I am used to, and the cane helps. I remember Susie eschewing a cane and falling. I am not a world-class ice skater used to calling on hard surfaces, and this way, I would like to avoid 911 calls.

So trying to make Sunday work. All the best, and thanks for reading.