Keeping My Schedule

I've developed a little schedule for myself over the past few weeks, which seems to be working, so I'm trying to stick with it.

I wake up every morning at 4:50 a.m. Freckles escorts me down the stairs and to the kitchen, where I take my first dose of Nexavar for the day. I hit the la-z-boy for about an hour and soak in the local news.

Then at 6 a.m. I follow with more medications that help control the side effects of the Nexavar, and I spend a little time on the laptop, maybe blogging a little.

Sometime before 7 a.m. I make breakfast. I eat more for breakfast now then I have in many years. This past week it's primarily been a couple slices of banana bread and a breakfast sandwich of some type.

Sometime after breakfast is digested I start exercising for about 30 minutes. I keep getting stronger but the exercises are modest, some deep knee bends, sit-ups and push-ups, and some work with some hand weights.

Then it's off to the shower. And afterwords I take care of any outstanding business for the day.

My most energetic time is always between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m., so I try to wrap up all of the "must-do" things before lunch. After I digest some lunch I look for ways to keep busy. If I become to idle in the afternoon I become overwhelmed with fatique and then some days concede to a nap.

I was explaining to my Mom yesterday, who stopped in for a visit, my delicate schedule and how I try to keep it so the important things (like exercise) do not go undone.

She said, "Jeeesh, you're just like an old woman."

LOL

And it's not like I hadn't thought that before. Well actually I thought that I was like an old man.

But that's the way it is. When you're working the chemo and the cancer there is no such thing as normal life anymore. Up is down. Left is right. I've always listened to what my body tells me. But I can't do that anymore.

When the fatique hits, I'm not supposed to take a nap. I'm supposed to fight it, get busy, figure out a way to stay awake. That's from the people at Bayer who make Nexavar. Many people on Nexavar give into the fatique and then suffer other malodies related to being so lethargic.

And this fatique is not a matter of just feeling a little sleepy, it's fatique like the kind of fatique that makes an infant fall asleep in their oatmeal.

If I don't feel hungry, tough luck, I've got to eat. Nothing is as simple as just listening to what my body tells me I need.

Well I do appreciate my Mom stopping in for a visit yesterday. If I can get myself as active and motivated as she I'll have accomplished a lot!

And thanks Mom for bringing the chicken patties from Groff's! They've been making great lunches.