31. 75%

Today is Chemo II plus 8 days. I'm feeling about 75% today, maybe pushing 80% after my exercise class. I did some cycling on the stationary bike, 20 seconds push and then 10 seconds light for 5 mins, on level 5. I was puffing like I was pushing myself at level 9 for 40 second/20 seconds and had already done 5 mins. It did feel good to get the cardio up again for a bit. I also did bodyweight squats, 2 seconds down, hold 2 seconds, 2 seconds stand up. 15 of those and definitely puffing and sweat dripping down my arms. Pushups against the wall x10. Alternate with the squats 3 for pushups and 4 for squats. Then it was some dumbbell hamstring deadlifts and standing rows with a 22kg band. Decided 25kg would be ok for next time. 3x10 and 3x12 each. Heart rate up to 176 beats per minute (says apple watch). That isn't unusual for me but previous to surgery the different in weights and intensity to get to the same level is huge. Then skull crushes, holding 4kg in each hand (flashback to when I could hold 10kg in each hand last year. I'll get there again!!!) and slow scissor core exercise. 3x10 each. Puff puff. Last was arm/leg alternate lift while on hands and knees and then clamshell with grey band around legs, 3x10 each. My health fund AHM will pay $15 per exercise class up to $500 for the year. Every little bit helps!

Symptoms this time around were similar to the first time, except I didn't get constipated as I preempted it with taking movicol on the Tuesday night. Not fun having my period at the same time and the weather was horrendously disgustingly FERAL. On Saturday Mither helped set up the portable air con unit in my room. I was feeling wretched and faint but cooling the room down and most importantly taking the humidity out of the air made me feel a LOT better. I slept well that night.

Food aversion is similar, tummy sensitivity is similar, metallic taste, not really any heart burn this time. I haven't had to vacate a room due to smells this time, though at times it's been close. The chemo drugs come out in my sweat and to me if smells like old sweaty socks and rotten pineapple. 🤢 By Friday I felt I could have a bit more variety in food like hard boiled egg and tuna. Tuesday (yesterday) I had a baking day with Evie and we made chocolate cupcakes and a mini chocolate cake. We practiced making fondant shells, coral, etc for her upcoming birthday cake. I had no urge whatsoever to eat them at the end and chocolate is one of my favourites. It was a fun day and I was tired by the end of it but it was totally worth it. Today for lunch I had a baked sweet potato with melted cheese on top. It was 'almost' delicious. What I mean by that was I almost felt hungry and enjoyed eating it.

I got a called from Karen the OT. On Feb 17th I will go and get the fluid in my arms measured. This is to keep track of possible lymphoedema. For the first year it'll get measured every 3 months and the 2nd year every 6 months.

I also got a call from Whiddon, my employer. The FIFO AIN positions haven't been working as well as they thought, bit more expensive than they had planned and a few other things. So, they are calling around and asking people if they want to relocate to a regional or rural area to work and some of the places have accommodation on site or close by. We discussed what's been happening with me and they are supportive of me being on Jobseeker and once I am able to work again say they will be able to find me a position somewhere. Perhaps if my treatment allows I wouldn't mind relocating somewhere. Options are there anyway.

I picked up my new contact lens for my left eye. It's taking some time to get used to. As it is a toric lens for the astigmatism is spins a little bit off track so I have to move it every so often to 'refocus'. That is something that my optometrist can fix when I got for a check up in a couple of weeks. When both contacts are in the optimum spot I have good vision. This is the game that is played when I get new contacts, it takes time to fine tune the fit and prescription. Humidity also makes it worse, everything swells up in humid weather so then the contacts don't fit quite right.

On Saturday I went the full head shave. It was falling out and itchy on my neck so time for it to go. Nice and cool without hair. Mither ended up giving me a number 1 buzz cut, then a 0 and then the razor. I finished off the razor shave in the shower. Eyebrows and eyelashes are still attached but they will probably go in another few weeks. I'm wondering when the eyelashes go if that will effect my contacts or not. My eyes may get dry perhaps. Other body hair will also go at some point too. Looking forward to not having to shave under the arms and my legs for a while.

Monday went down to the Audley Cafe in the Royal National Park as Shell was there with Aneira and Zaeli. Mither and Pither came too. There was a roast vegetable sandwich on dark rye bread that I ordered and it went down ok. I'm going out to a cafe with a friend tomorrow for lunch and I think I'll be ok to find something on the menu to eat. It's the Loftus Cafe and I've been there many times and know their menu quite well.

The social worker, Ross, put in a referral to the Cancer Council for me to get some vouchers for food and petrol. I got a text message on Monday to say that I would get $150 worth of vouchers for Coles and $200 vouchers for BP in the mail, express post. I'm hoping they come today as I do need to do some food shopping and Jobseeker payments start next Monday.

Little update with the Medicare Card post - I called St George Hospital and talked to Patricia in Clinical Records. She confirmed that the wrong card number had been end dated and the correct one is now on file. She said that both St George and Sutherland Hospitals were on the same system so when Sutherland updated it, it happened for them too. She thanked me for calling and checking, saying that it can create issues that take a long time to fix. I have an audit backgrounds from hotels and know how frustrating it is when things don't balance or match.

I'm trying out a new recipe I saw on a YouTube channel today. It's a flat bread recipe (has yoghurt in it) but you can add fillings like onion, cheese, mashed potato/pumpkin/sweet potation, grated vegetables etc. You roll out the dough, then add fillings, make it into a ball again and then roll it out. Cook it in the frying pan. I thought it might be a nice way to add a bit more nutrition to bread. Seeing as bread and crackers are two things that I find easy to eat I feel I should experiment. I have also found that if I watch some cooking channels, like Preppy Kitchen or Jamie Oliver then I feel a little bit more like eating at meal times. It doesn't always work, but when it does it is good. Jamie Oliver had some butternut pumpkin fritters that he made that had parmesan cheese and cottage cheese in them. I thought it would be nice to add lentils or smashed chickpeas to them. I've never been a big meat eater, I mean I would love having a nice steak every so often at a nice restaurant, but at home I am mostly pescatarian. With the chemo I have absolutely no interest in red meat at all, not really chicken either.