30. Bring out the ice packs!

Summer has always been my least favourite season. Humidity (anything over 20%) I detest. The higher the humidity goes the grumpier I get. Today has been in the low 30c range but above 50% humidity and it is rising. Storms are rumbling out west but I don't think we will get anything here. A weak southerly cool change is forecast around 7pm. At lunch today I got out ice packs to put under my feet so I didn't over heat and I have been mainlining iced water all day. I retreated to my room downstairs as it is cooler and have my fan on high. Just barely survivable. I do have a portable air conditioner - purchased with two other friends at a camp up in Queensland a number of years ago. We were seriously considering checking into a hotel for the week and then decided it would be cheaper to get the portable air con. It came home with me as I was the one that had the car. It's been taken to other camps to over the years. I haven't cracked it out yet but it's there in the back of my mind.

I guess people are wondering how I've been going after Chemo II. I preemptively took movicol on Tuesday night to avoid the whole constipation issue like last time. It worked and on Thursday I didn't need to take any. Headache comes back in the afternoon a bit and I'm tired more than usual. The weather is also not helping with the headache or the tiredness. I got my period on Wednesday. NOT FAIR! I didn't need to add those annoyances to my other side effects. Luckily it's not a vicious one, slight aching back and not too heavy. At the moment anyway. In the past I have had times where I feel like someone has shoved hooks through my lower back, into my abdomen and then it feels like my spine is slowly being pulled out my lower back. Also, flooding. No need to go into too many details about that but many of my women relatives and friends will understand how annoying and disruptive that is.

The two days after chemo I have to take 2x dexamethasone steroid tablets after food in the morning. I have done that. I also stabbed myself with the Pegfilgrastim syringe on Wednesday without any issues. That's the one that goes in my lower abdomen and helps my white blood cells stay at a good level. I wasn't sure how I would go doing the needle myself but it was fine. I went for a walk up to the Pharmacy on Wednesday morning to ask them about sharps containers. After a short discussion about what type of needle it is they said if it has a secure needle guard on it (it does) then I can bring it into them and they can dispose of it and I don't need to have the sharps container at home. That's great. I also took the dexamethasone containers up with me to ask if they can be recycled (didn't want to put them in the land fill 'red bin') as I wasn't sure about medication bottles. They said they will take them and put them in their medical waste that gets incinerated. Not very good for the environment either but some medications can leech into the plastic and then not good for recycling either. Maybe they should be glass and then washed and recycled. Every little bit helps our planet from sliding further into disaster.

Food. Similar sensitive tummy feeling and aversion to appetite. I have followed the same formula of small snacking every couple of hours and that has been ok. Sense of smell isn't quite as super sonic but it's still a bit of an issue. I haven't had to run out the room or house yet like last time. I have borrowed Donna's big C shaped pregnancy pillow to help create a little hollow at night so that nothing touches my tummy. It helps. If it was anything like last time the sensation gets less and should be ok by the weekend. Today I am wearing a dress because of the heat. I don't often voluntarily wear dresses so if I am in one you know I am not liking the weather or it's probably a wedding or a special party....as well as not liking the weather! The dress is less pressing on the tummy too so another small win.

My hair is starting to fall out, a little bit. Average time is 2-3 weeks after starting chemo so I'm in the ball park. A friend gave me the website https://braveryco.com.au/ with head scarves that she recommended when she was having treatment and lost her hair. I was looking through them and decided that I would like to get one when my Jobseeker payment starts. However, my lovely sister Shell said she would be happy to buy me one and my niece Aneira picked out the Wattle Warrior one. I thoroughly approve of the name and design. Also, one of my wonderful and supportive friends in the USA, Adriane, has also bought me one (Moonlight Garden) and it will come in the mail. I am feeling very very loved and I know that I will feel their arms around my head giving me a hug when I wear them.

Today is Australia Day. I haven't celebrated it in many many years. I stand with changing the date to one that is not a contentious or upsetting date for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Today I send out my thoughts of healing to the peoples of Dharawal Country on which our house stands. It always has been and always will be their land.