I am Le Tired
“With the first pick in the side effect draft, Fatigue comes off the board. Joe is really gonna love this pick. Hailing from Cabo, this pick is quick hitting and painless. Reliable, fatigue will be there day in and day out putting in the work. A guaranteed number one all around.”
(That is what I believe ESPN would say if there was a Cancer side effect draft)
I am tired. Most of the day. In the side effect lottery this was the odds on favorite to hit first and honestly the best of them all if we’re being serious about it. I now wake up tired, feel more tired in the early afternoon and yeah- that’s it. I have never been a huge nap taker. Don’t get me wrong, I love naps, I just don’t take them really. I think my biggest drawback is that I wake up usually feeling like crap- cranky and with a headache half the time. I know of all the things I have typed, this above will get the most hate.
In other news I had my first infusion this past Thursday:
It went fine. A lot of waiting, basically the process is:
Labs and vitals
Wait around
Talk to the doctor about treatment and ask any questions
Wait around again
Labs look good, pharmacy order is created for the infusion
Wait around longer
Infusion arrives and takes 30 minutes total
Go home
The infusion itself was painless, especially since they used a vein finder. Not sure what a vein finder is? It’s like a stud finder but for your veins- really cool and cuts down on the poking around for veins. Also a pro tip- if you’re planning on getting cancer, tattoos where the commonly used veins are do not help the nurses. For the unaware, you get a private room in the Cancer center with a recliner, a warm blanket, television and snacks if you like. They really try to make you as comfy as possible, which is nice I guess. Other than a small headache that night I don’t think the infusion has really made much of a difference versus the Cabo.
Editor’s Note: I just answered the door and had a 5 minute conversation and came back to my office to “rest.” The fatigue is no joke.
Since I have to take Cabo an hour before eating or 2 after, I am up every morning at 4:30am to take my little pill of death:
Usually I go back to sleep for another hour before I wake up for my morning zen- the uninterrupted cup of coffee before the kids awake. This is life now for the foreseeable future. I am immunocompromised- need proof? I had a minor sniffle early last week that two days into Cabo and right after the infusion turned into a full blown, empty-the-Kleenex-warehouse cold in my head and throat. It’s like the cold was waiting for the door to pop open a bit.
Which is great considering I have 2 kids in school who will undoubtedly bring home something from their miniature infectious disease labs. Fair notice- if you come around me with your sickness this will be my reaction:
Or this:
That’s all for today. If you can, donate to Gilda’s or buy a shirt!
-Joe