Sleepy Time

What a week it has been, not because it was busy but for quite the opposite reason. It has been over a week since my last treatment. During the past week, I have spent most of it lying down or actually sleeping. Though I made it to hockey last Thursday, it was a challenge. It was really a game time decision to go as I had been laid out all day and was not sure if I would have the energy to play. I did and was glad I made it though it was tough to play. After that though, I was too exhausted to do anything.

As you can tell, we did not make it to NB. It was a difficult decision but it was the best one to make at the time. Given how tired I was and how the nausea had been, I am not sure I could have made the drive let alone the remainder of the visit.  There would have been too many distractions that would have wanted my attention and I would have felt guilty lying around all day while the others did everything. I know that I have a “get out of jail free” card but I do not like to use/abuse it.

As it was Canada day on Friday, we did decide to go to my buddy Richard’s cottage. It is always a relaxing time there when I go and it is always loads of fun with Richard and Li. Too bad I was so tired though. I was not much company on this trip. We arrived mid afternoon on Friday. I pretty much spent the rest of the time on the futon. We had a late dinner with Hannah (Richard’s daughter) and her friend and then the others spent the evening playing cards while I rested/slept on the futon. I was out of it for most of the evening. We went to bed relatively early (before midnight) and yet I still slept until late morning. Saturday was spent on the futon all day. I did not even get up to help with any of the meals, so unlike me. This night though, I did muster up some energy to play cards with everyone, though I was tired by the end of it.

Sunday was much the same. I rested on the futon as long as I could before we left, again barely lifting a finger to help pack. I am very thankful that my family is so supportive. I hate being such a burden onto them though. On our way home, we did some grocery shopping and MA made dinner. I went to bed early and slept in very late. So late in fact, MA was getting worried that I was not getting enough fluids in me so she would wake me every hour to ensure that I was drinking. She even had Isa wake me up while she went out to pick up the other two. I spent all morning and most of the afternoon in bed sleeping. I was exhausted and could not stop sleeping on Monday. I probably slept over 16h and still could sleep more. I was so tired that I skipped band practice that night. I even skipped hockey the next morning as I could not imagine me having enough energy to play. Tuesday was pretty much the same, slept most of the day but finally had enough energy to at least take a shower.

Now, the only thing I can think of that might be the cause of all this fatigue is the new drug. Though it is the fifth round of chemo, there seems to be a dramatic change in how I felt between the last session and this one and the only difference is the drug. Nabilone is a synthetic drug based on an active ingredient in marijuana. It has been doing wonders on the nausea and metallic hangover I have been getting after each treatment. Those symptoms have all but disappeared this time around but have been replaced with extreme fatigue and sleepiness. I guess it is a fair trade off, more or less. I have been off the Nabilone for over 36h now and I do feel less tired so that supports the current theory. I keep telling myself “one more treatment to go!”, “one more treatment to go!” to help me get though all lagging issues.

This week Mary Ann is kept busy as a taxi service. Gen is volunteering for a fencing camp at the RA centre. She is already collecting her volunteer hours for school. She could start collecting as of the start of her holidays so she is not wasting any time. Cassy is at a soccer camp this week as well. Camps start and finish at almost the same time but they are nowhere near each other. MA is burning out trying to get through rush hour traffic to drop off G then go back home to pick up Cassy for her camp which is in the opposite direction. Then she comes home to massage for a few hours and hang out with Isa until it’s time to pick up the girls. I am hoping to get the energy to not only go out to lunch tomorrow with my work colleagues but also get in some hockey that night. I need to start planning days ahead to ensure that I have energy for my activities. Cassy and MA will be going to Quebec City for a soccer tournament this weekend. Depending on how I feel, I may go but, as of right now, I will not. Isa might go with them and Gen will stay home with me. I may need to teach her to drive so hat she can get supplies. She is 14 now, that is close enough to driving age no? Besides she knows how to drive the lawn tractor and a motorbike so a car is pretty easy in comparison.

I assume that I will have an appt with my Besty next week, probably Wednesday. I still do not have this confirmation yet as they need to mail my appointment reminder. Yes, I said mail, not email, phone, text or some other electronic means. They physically print a letter, put it in an envelope, put a stamp on the envelope and mail it too me. With the pending Canada Post lockout, how will I ever get my notice of appointment. 🙁 ?