Chemo-tired 2

  After spending a day in my body, I can now clearly define chemo-tired.  Let us travel back in time, to a time when I had super-momma strength.  When I placed an idea in my head, it would be done. I bulled through all my tasks with endurance and ingenuity.  If I was too short or weak to lift something, I solved the problem with physics (which, by the way, was my favorite science course in school.)  I am sure I amused and frustrated my parents when I locked myself in my room all day creating something.  Emerging from my Monet inspired room for dinner, I would dawn my new ballet-wrap top origamied out of a stretched out cardigan and hundreds of tiny gold safety pins.  I much rather figure it out myself then ask my mom to teach me to sew.  And in the end, if I struggled with a daunting task like moving furniture by my self and felt a little sore, I would not complain.  What is a little pain in comparison to a job well done?

  It seems my life has changed.  That is an understatement.  See, even though my chemo treatments are over, I still receive treatment of Herceptin trice-weekly.  Apparently, it renders my body to function half par.  Recovery from a daunting task is not a fun event, and popping a little Tylenol doesn't cut it.  Now, I am not complaining as I can deal with the burning pain in my surgery sights because it has been worse.  I am just saying that chemo-tired means that I feel about like I did on my tenth day of chemo.  That was the day I began to come out of the fog.  That was the day I could walk a mile, yet still needed to sit down the rest of the day.  You would think I would have figured this out after it took three weeks to heal my ankle that I apparently twisted during running.  Or the week of stiff neck after stretching it too far during power vinyasa yoga.  Oh, no, I had to push my body way too hard lifting heavy things (I did use my legs, not my back like a good girl.)  Now, I can't tell you when my Taurus, bull-headed self will start to listen to my muscles that are teaming with little Herceptin soldiers and way too busy to mind the mending of over exertion.  No, I don't know when I will listen.  Maybe that is part of the fight.  So, somewhere in this battle, I will have to call in a mediator.

  Chemo-tired: (ke-mo-ti-rd) adjective: feeling run down, lethargic, sore muscles and bones, heavy eyes and occasional nerapathy, a general feeling of wanting to lay around and do absolutely nothing, ones body feels similar to recovering from a round of chemo therapy in that the body feels heavy and slow.