Warning: This is an overshare!

The problem with blogging is that sometimes there are things that you don’t want to share – they’re just too embarrassing or painful or whatever. The other problem with blogging is that sometimes you want to share things that you really perhaps shouldn’t. But they’re just too classic not to share! So be warned, I am about to sacrifice my dignity and mystique on the altar of comedy. Read on at your peril.

So I started chemo again on Tuesday. We rocked up to the hospital early, and I was in a bit of stomach pain, really unpleasant crampy kinda pain. We toddled off to x-ray for a stomach x-ray, and then back to the chemo ward. In the meantime, I’ve thrown up a couple of times (and this is well before any chemo has started). My doctor walks in, looks at the scan, looks up and says “Jess, you’re full of shit”.

Yes, indeed. Thank you. The drugs that prevent nausea do in fact have a concreting effect. I was aware of it as a minor problem, but not to this extent. Such a great choice – nausea or concrete. I think I’ll skip the details on how we fixed the problem.

On the plus side, the chemo went well – I’ve had almost no nausea (which means I haven’t had to take anti-nausea drugs, which means – oh, never mind) which has made such a big difference. Yesterday I started getting the bone pain, which is unpleasant – even my cheekbones and ribs ache. This morning I took a fentanyl lollypop and before I finished it the nausea started. So I’m drawing a direct link between my painkillers and nausea at the moment. Vicious sort of side-effects spiral – have pain, need painkillers. Painkillers cause nausea, need anti-nausea drugs. Anti-nausea drugs cause concrete, and I’ve already said too much about that.

I have decided to call my nausea Nancy. We have nice Nancy, naughty Nancy and nasty Nancy. She has been really nice for the past couple of days, but it looks like she’s getting a bit naughty now.

I’ve started a new book – The Purpose-Driven Life. I’m looking forward to discovering and living God’s purpose for my life. I think it’s time to start living with purpose rather than just existing. It’s very exciting.

Mama and I have been planning out the next couple of months. By the end of May all this chemo stuff will be all over and we’ll be onto the next phase of our lives – scary and exciting all at once! It will take quite a few months to recover from chemo, so I plan on convalescing in Mackay.

I want to write emails to everyone, but again, internet access is very limited, so please forgive me.

Lots of love to you all.

God bless,

Jess xoxoxo