Occupation Full-Time Cancer Paient

In November I was on my phone for over 1000 minutes. Since December 4th, I've been on it for over 1600 minutes. In those minutes I've talked to doctors, updated family and friends, consulted nurses, and talked to volunteers at the American Cancer Society. I've spent time on the internet, researching triple-negative breast cancer, neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, acupuncturists, and more. I've been to multiple appointments, which often last longer than expected. I read about ways to stay healthy during treatment without actually scheduling in the time to make them happen.

This has been one of the hardest adjustments to make. I didn't realize that being a cancer patient - even one with a good prognosis - is a full time job. Add that on to the full-time job that pays me, Christmas preparation, social events, I've been one busy girl. Yesterday it caught up to me.

Friday chemo went later than planned. I ended up going to acupuncture right afterward. Then, yesterday, after the "hair follies," I went straight to the University for my Neulasta shot. This should be a fifteen minute appointment, but turned into forty minutes due to computer issues and a discussion about how to give me just 3 mLs rather than the standard 6 mLs. My cell phone lost battery power, as I'd lost my car charger (I've lost about six things in the last few weeks). I got home after 2, where I was supposed to cook for my parents, but when I realized I was short one ingredient, that was it. There was no working around it, no running to the store. I was officially overwhelmed. I called it a meltdown at the time, but maybe that's too strong of a word. I was just done. I sent my parents home (actually, they went to a restaurant) and unplugged. I took my first anti-nausea pill (did I mention I also had a bit of nausea for the first time? And heartburn), drank some ginger-peppermint tea, put some relaxing and uplifting essential oils in the diffuser, and chilled. And napped - and drooled. I showed up at my New Year's soiree 90 minutes late, feeling like new.

I'm hoping that now that I'm into round two, don't need to see the surgeon until after chemo, that things will calm down a bit. I think my next appointments will be for the MRI to assess the tumor size prior to round three (which should be about January 20th). Maybe help me to focus on me. I went to a New Year's Day yoga workshop today, and my mind was all over the place. I'm sure the steroid don't help, but I also realized that I have done yoga maybe twice since my cancer journey began last April.