In Other Words with Dave

I’m not much for roller coasters. The ups, the downs, the feeling of being out of control – but I ride one every week. My roller coaster rides are chemo treatments.

Thursday: The ride starts with some meds and an injection. Then the slow climb begins…click, click, ascending up. “Up” because one of the meds is a steroid. Suddenly, I am ready to go. Anywhere. Out. Over there. Up there. Somewhere. Let’s do something. Suddenly I’m Action Dave. At least I cover a lot of ground.

Friday: My energized ride continues – now with side effects. My voice becomes hoarse, my complexion turns pink, the tinnitus gets louder and I’m Snacky McSnacker – super hungry all day. On top of all that, I’m chatty (not exactly my nature). If a thought comes into my head, you’ll likely hear about it. By evening, it all slows down as I head toward my low point.

Saturday: By mid-morning, the ride shuts down. I’m on the couch detoxing from the steroids and chemo. There’s a distinct possibility I might start weeping if I can’t figure out how to use the remote or run out of cookies. Starting a sentence? No problem. Finishing a sentence? A problem. Four naps on a Saturday seems about right.

Sunday: I’m moving slowly as the rough part of the ride is over. Facts and recall continue to be dicey. Don’t believe anything I say on Sundays.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday: I’m grateful for feeling normal again. I exit the ride and get back in line. It may seem like I’m going nowhere, but after 3 years there’s no sign of disease. And in the spring, I’m scheduled to stop weekly treatments. Alison and I are looking forward to that, it’s been a long ride.