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Almost two months since the last dose of herceptin, and my body is changing. I no longer creak when I get out of bed in the morning. Going up and down stairs doesn’t hurt any more. My nose still aches but no longer bleeds. Poorly Stephanie is on the wane, and Well Stephanie is returning.
The big change, though, is a mental one. Poorly Stephanie quite often spent an afternoon curled up on the sofa, reading or knitting or watching ‘Gilmore Girls’. Well Stephanie isn’t really up for that. (Not every afternoon, anyway.) Poorly Stephanie found that, after a day working, all she could manage was to come home and eat and sleep. Well Stephanie went out for dinner with Alan the other night, and didn’t have to ask to be taken home before pudding. (Rhubarb tart. Yummy.)
Poorly Stephanie was inclined to be more passive than Well Stephanie is. Of course, Poorly Stephanie was doing the absolute best that she could do in the circumstances that she was in. She was spending a huge amount of energy doing things that Well Stephanie does without thinking twice about: standing up, sitting down, going up and down stairs. Poorly Stephanie gets credit for that, but Well Stephanie is ready to move on.
Well Stephanie mixes up some green powder with orange juice and drinks it every morning. (It’s called Nature’s Living Superfood and it’s every bit as nasty-tasting as the name implies.) She’s trying to replace all of the good things that have been drained out of Poorly Stephanie’s body as treatment leeched the strength out of it. Well Stephanie is having a weekly Pilates class with Diane (who is a brilliant teacher and will be along to tell you more about Pilates next week) and is both horrified by how weak Poorly Stephanie had become, and pleased that her body remembers what it’s like to be strong. Well Stephanie has been doing yoga at home and starts classes again next week, and has booked herself onto a yoga and Pilates retreat at the beginning of June.
Well Stephanie is going to finish her book within 6 months. Well Stephanie occasionally sleeps through the night, undisturbed by cramp. Well Stephanie has stopped buying black clothes. Well Stephanie has, in Alan’s words, “got her sparkle back”.
(Well Stephanie reserves the right to have the odd off day. Well Stephanie will continue to knit, and eat chocolate, and watch ‘Gilmore Girls’ in the afternoon if she feels like it.)
Hi, Well Stephanie. Lovely to read all those positive plans. Not sure about the nasty-tasting drink but Pilates and Yoga sound excellent, especially the retreat. I haven’t done either for several years but now you’ve reminded me I think I’ll rejoin my local Pilates group… and we all need those ‘chocolate and TV’ afternoons once in a while.
*HUGS* I’m so glad you’re feeling better and have found your sparkle again! It’s great to hear that you’ve got you ‘get up and go’ back – hope you have lots of lovely fun at the yoga/pilates retreat
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Congratulations! I hope Poorly Stephanie does not return! But dark chocolate should be eaten regularly.
Hi well ,sparkling Stephanie. Happy to meet you.
Oh shoot, I forgot to say, come on over to my blog before Monday evening if you want a chance at winning a free copy of The Afterglow of Creation by Marcus Chown.
Sounds like you are doing really well. My husband had his first chemo dose for Hodgkins a week ago today and is now feeling pretty knackered. Had blood test today and his neutrophils are very low so that explains it. He is having 3 cycles of chemo so we are hoping he will be well again by the end of the summer.