N is for no bucket required!

Well, we're not out of the woods yet, but it's day 3 after my chemo and although I feel tired and not exactly full of beans, I don't feel anywhere near as bad as I did with the side effects of the morphine patches, which is such an overwhelming relief. I am really cautious about saying too much because I feel like I might have got away with it too lightly and any minute now could be struck by a bout of horrendous sickness. Well, let's keep thinking positively, and hope it just get better from here on in!

Actually managed to get out and about a bit yesterday - we took my mum back to Schiphol in the morning and on the very good advice of a friend (Liz) who's had chemo, took a wide range of equipment with me in order to cope with sickness on the road! Bucket, plastic bags, tissues, water, etc. plus of course my inflatable ring, lamb's wool rug and blanket to ease my sore skinny arse! Well, anyway, it was all worth it, because the journey was fine, no bucket required! In the afternoon I went out and did some tidying up in the garden and planted a few bulbs and plants (thank you, Una!) and it was really nice to be outside for a while. Ok, so that is pretty much all I achieved yesterday, the rest of the day was mainly on the sofa watching TV but I am counting not being sick as an achievement in itself so in that sense, I'm feeling really, really happy!

What I really need to work on today is eating more... it's just so hard thinking about food, because most stuff just makes me feel nauseous and being in the kitchen or around food smells really doesn't help! I've had some yogurt this morning so far (big whoop!) and I feel like I could eat something else, but I don't know what and hanging around in the kitchen searching for inspiration isn't an option. As far as my nostrils are concerned, our kitchen stinks at the moment! Ed cooked a whole chicken last night, which was nice and I had some of it, but it has left a lingering smell and there is also some smelly cheese in the fridge, so it's an odorous minefield for me! This morning, I had to wash some stuff up because of the smell, but before I could deal with the job I sprayed a scarf with perfume and then wrapped it up to just under my eyes!

I want to start making plans to see people and do things this week.. have only got a couple of things booked in for Thursday and Friday. I hadn't made any plans of course because I didn't know how I would be, but having days stretching out in front of me without having anything to look forward to is a bit depressing. It is hard though, because I don't know how I will feel each day.

I have got a couple of evening lessons planned in, but have to make sure I am ok for those. If I have friends over and I'm not very talkative or entertaining that's ok, but I can't exactly do that for students! I also need to be very explicit that if people are sick or anyone in their family has been ill, that they shouldn't come because my immune system is weak now and I can pick up infections and bugs really easily.