And that’s saying something. Those zombies have far more energy than I had all month. At the risk of jinxing myself, Cyce 2 (just completed) didn’t hit me as hard as the first. I’m still weak, nauseous, breathless, etc., but the pain seems to be decreasing somewhat. Fatigue has also decreased by half, which isn’t saying much, but I’ll take it! Exercise is probably the key to energy – besides diet, it’s the main thing that’s changed, and I can’t seem to get out to walk. Floor exercises don’t sound appealing, but maybe it’s the thing to do. All I know is I’m not going to get any better without exercise…
Speaking of which – my sister and BIL visited for the week. They were originally slated to go to Dumont Dunes for the latter half to ride quads with BIL’s relatives. Hubby had decided for some time to sell the Achilles (inflatable – he’s only gone diving twice since we moved) and get back into riding ATV’s. An ATV purchase might have happened regardless of the visit, but the inevitable outcome of a last-minute purchase was trail-riding in the mountains the day before the Dunes trip.
Brief history: I posted about BIL back in 2009, when he had a 3-organ transplant at Stanford. This was necessitated by a congenital heart defect, for which he’d had a defibrillator since he was 16. At 30 his heart function was at 35% and a transplant was needed. His liver and kidneys were compromised by all the heart medications over the years, so to ensure the success of the heart transplant, the package needed to include a new liver and kidneys. It’s been 4 years since the transplant so it’s definitely been a success. However, he’s never been proactive towards his own health, so he’s not the picture of fitness by any means. When he decided to take up quad-riding, we were very concerned. His lack of strength/stamina and generally sedentary behavior and inexperience in outdoor activities made him a poor candidate for this sort of thing. In the past four years he renewed his beer-drinking and occasional-golfing forays, but the second lease on life didn’t seem to imbue him with a conviction that he should exercise and take better care of the “new” body he’d been given. But he had a couple of work friends with whom he was interested in riding, and we thought this might be a turning point in his outlook towards fitness…
Long story short, in an attempt to get around forestry vehicles parked on the trail, BIL had to go over a two-foot incline to the road. He didn’t shift his weight or aid the bike in going forward, flipped it, and broke his arm. Fortunately, there were dozens of firefighters/paramedics on the spot, who iced and splinted his arm while Hubs raced to the staging area for a transport vehicle (hospital was just down the road). BIL was lucky to have broken only his arm, as his bones are very weak. His forearm was essentially crushed and necessitated an operation requiring a plate and bolts.
BIL’s quad now sits in our storage unit. I think the experience frightened the Bejeezus out of BIL, but I still don’t see it motivating him into a physical fitness quest. Sadly, I see him becoming increasingly sedentary, rather than trying to find another, lower-impact activity that might take him outdoors and confer physical benefits.
So that was the day before chemo. It was a bit of a logistical mess. I hope this teaches Hubs to plan a bit more carefully for emergency contingencies when coming up with what he thinks are simple trips to the woods.
The house is quiet again. Hubs will be on the road, the last trip under his own company. CT and bone scans for me tomorrow. And whatever I can muster in the way of making admin calls, paying healthcare bills, rounding up stuff for taxes…
I admit I’m tired and could use some real downtime. It’s unfortunate the state of TV has deteriorated so much since I was last confined to the couch. The only way to watch what isn’t reality TV is to record it on a DVR and forward through the endless commercials. The only blessing so far is a new channel called CINEMOI, which plays old movies, documentaries, and bits of fashion shows and random shorts.
And now, to argue with Hubs about the danger of leaving the garage door opener in the car while parked in long-term parking. For some reason, he refuses to believe that anyone would steal a garage-door opener and burglarize a home (the address to which is usually on the vehicle registration card). He must think we live in some utopia, where no one would imagine doing that. Of course, he left my Nikon camera in his truck in the driveway. Surprise – it was stolen. Yet he thinks a home’s driveway is safe. He doesn’t think my sunglasses were taken from his car at the car wash either, even though I’ve lost prescription glasses that way. (Shakes head)
One Step Beyond 