放假 Vacation

好久沒有這麼期待星期三了，真是高興。原因是我星期四和星期五放化療的假，不用吃化療的葯，真是高興，高興到值得慶祝。

I am so thrilled that Wednesday is here.  The reason is that I don’t have to take chemo medicine on Thursdays and Fridays.  Yippee!  It’s worth celebrating!

回想上個星期五第一次注射兩個小時的歐力普（兩個星期打一次），接下來又開始服用截瘤達（每天早晚吃4顆），星期六傍晚開始覺得噁心，沒有很嚴重，但是覺得很不舒服，想像接下來的40天都要這樣噁心，就很困難了，而且聽醫護人員說這藥性是漸漸積留，副作用慢慢變強的，我想不會吧，一開始就這麼辛苦。原本剛強熱血的我，開始覺得很累。

Last Friday was my first injection of two-hour oxaliplatin (once in two weeks).  After that, I had to take Xeloda everyday (4 pills in the morning and 4 pills in the night).  I started to feel nauseated on Saturday evening.  It wasn’t really bad but it was uncomfortable.  I imagined that was what it would be for the next 40 days, it felt very challenging.  What made it worse was that the nurses told me that these side effects will build up gradually.  Oh, mine!  I was strong before and after hearing that, I felt very tired.

但是第二天看到我三個可愛的小孩，他們為我禱告之後，噁心就突然消失了一半，後來就漸漸比較好了，到了今天完全沒有噁心的感覺，謝謝大家的禱告。而且我想歐力普的藥性比較強，過幾天就消失了。學習去適應一個禮拜之後，慢慢懂得如何掌握這些藥性，不要讓自己餓，特別是半夜，一餓就會容易聞到截瘤達的味道，不要運動過量，注意自己的身體狀況，不像化療前了，晚餐前兩個小時喝一杯酵素，會增強晚餐食慾。原本打算要吃全鹼性食物的我，發現真的要等要化療之後，才能管那些。現在能吃什麼就盡量吃吧，這禮拜吃過牛肉麵、滷肉飯、小籠包，還吃了幾顆巧克力，發現自己的口味還跟以前不大一樣，隨身帶著酸梅、無花果乾、蘇打餅乾和水，搞不清楚的人還以為我要老蚌生珠了。

However, the next day when I saw my three lovely children and they prayed for me, instantly that disgusted feeling was pretty much gone and things were getting better and better.  Today I did not feel nauseated at all.  Thanks to all your prayers!  I think the side effects of Oxaliplatin were very strong and it took a few days for them to go away.  After a week, I am starting to learn how to manage these side effects.  Don’t let myself be hungry, especially at midnight, or I will smell Xeloda.  Do not over exercise.  Learn about my physical condition, which is very different from what it was before chemo.  Drink some water with enzymes two hours before dinner.  It will increase my appetite.  I was planning to go all alkaline, but that got to wait after chemo.  Now I will just eat whatever appeals to me, beef stew noodle, minced pork rice, mini pork buns, and chocolate.  My taste is a different than before.  I always carry sour dried plums, dried figs, crackers and water.  Yes, I feel like a pregnant lady!   

原本考慮秀君和小孩在我化療的6個星期就回美國，讓我可以“安心靜養”，但是發現有他們在，我比較不會一直去注意藥的副作用，他們實在是最好的安定劑，看來他們只好跑一趟香港加簽了。

I was thinking to ask Siew and the kids to return the States during the 6 weeks of my chemo treatment, so I can rest “quietly”.   But actually, they are my best calming medicine.  With them around, I will forget on the side effects of the chemo medicine.  So it looks like they have to go to Hong Kong and extend their visa.

雖然明天放化療的假，但是還要去醫院電療個10分鐘，電療目前還沒有什麼感覺。期待放假，期待健康！

Even though tomorrow I am taking a break on chemo medicine, I still have to stop by the hospital to do radiation treatment for 10 minutes.  Radiation does not have any strong side effect on me right now.  Look forward to my vacation!  Look forward to be healthy!