Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Thank God for juice.

Before I elaborate on my title, it just started pouring here. It's funny because I suddenly saw a rather zaftig chap in a white button-down shirt try and run to the nearest building. And now it is hailing, so really, my day is complete. So anyway, I have a newfound appreciation for juice. I have become horrendously tired of drinking water all the time, which poses a problem because I am constantly thirsty. So I have begun experimenting with various types of juice. My favorite, thus far, is grapefruit juice. Unfortunately, that is a "home" treat, as the hospital doesn't carry it. Actually, the juices offered by food services are seriously lacking in juice-deliciousness. But I have my Nantucket Nectars Big Cranberry to hold me over.

In other news, I am back to my usual and sprightly self. Yesterday's nausea and fatigue passed as quickly as they appeared. Now I just get to wait until they clear me to leave, hopefully Friday. Oh, so I have yet another reason why I would recommend not getting cancer if you can help it. For that matter, don't ever get hospital-worthy sick. One of the chemotherapy drugs I get, methotrexate, I get in three different forms: IV, intrathecal (lumbar puncture into my spine), and oral. This story involves the oral methotrexate. I get the pills every six hours, 54 mg each time. Here's the fun part: last night and this morning, the pharmacy only had the pills in 2 mg tablets. Basically, I had to swallow 27 pills. Eventually, I mastered swallowing four at a time. Granted, they were little, probably about half the size of my pinkie fingernail - the one I keep short for guitar. But still, it isn't every day that one has the opportunity to swallow 27 pills. For me, it's four times a day. Hoo-rah.

And also, just because it made me smile: Apparently yesterday my phosphate levels were low. So this morning my nurse brought in powdered phosphate that I mixed with my morning juice. Needless to say, it tasted horrible. When the nurse came back in, I was just like, "Wow, this stuff tastes pretty god-awful." And my nurse, my young and friendly nurse asked, "Can I bring you a chaser?" I was like, HAHA. That's fantastic. I declined her offer, saying I've drunk much worse concoctions sans chaser before. But it still made me happy that she would ask. And that has been my day. Lots of pills, IVs, various mixes, and of course, juice. What more could one ask for on this most unpredictable of hump days? I tell you, not much. Pax.

1 comment:

Megan/Yuping said...

Nantucket Nectars=heaven. But I am surprised that you are tired of water. You are a fish.

Also it might amuse you to know that I couldn't swallow pills until I was fifteen. My family would try to coach my at the dinner table. we would practice with peas. It would always end with humiliation, with me choking and spewing water everywhere.