Just as Swell

If things had been going as planned, I would have gotten my second dose of chemo yesterday, and I would have had to go out today to get the Neulasta to keep my white blood cell count from bottoming out. But my second dose was canceled due to what may actually be sunburn judging from the pattern.

The heat and redness is where my clothes weren’t yesterday and Monday afternoon — what the boat neck of my shirts exposed as well as my neck and face. It’s acting just like every other sunburn I’ve ever had, but sun sensitivity is also a side effect of bendamustine, so it is a side effect, but not as concerning as it would be if it was a skin rash side effect. I was wearing shirts with an ample boat neck on both days because it’s easier to just pull the neck down to give them access to my chemo port than it is to have to take my arm out of the sleeve and pull the whole side of the shirt out of the way. Less revealing, too. I’d rather not inflict gratuitous pulchritude on innocent bystanders if I can help it.

It’s also just as swell that I decided to drive like the Indy 500 to get to the VA before they closed yesterday, instead of waiting to pick up the Medrol Dosepak this morning. We’ve had 2 inches (5 mm) of snow so far with a 90% chance of getting more today, and a 50% chance of getting more tomorrow. More to the point, it’s currently 21 F/-6.1 C with a 17 mph/27 kph north wind and a wind chill of 7 F/-13.8 C.

With the Rocky Mountains laid out like a kerb stone from Canada to Mexico to the west of us, and the Great Plains like a straight shot to Canada 1700 miles to our north, there’s nothing much between us and the North Pole except Amarillo and a fence, and the fence is down, as the saying goes. At this time of the year, when Canada blows, our weather sucks, as the saying also goes. Canada is blowing today, folks, at a blustery 17 mph/27 kph. We are under a winter weather advisory until late tomorrow afternoon, with warnings of wind chills of down to -10 F/-23 C (and possible snow accumulations of 4 inches/10 cm).

As I mentioned previously, my drapes got moved and hung in my new digs. I had had some beach towels I was using as chair covers for those icky old “leather” armchairs I had and they were slated for donation to Goodwill (they were already in the trunk of my car and I had to briefly brave the elements to go get them – GACK!), but I had a brain wave that I might could fold up one or both of the towels and put them on the window sill, held in place by the blinds, and mitigate the light leak at the bottom of the curtains caused by the way the curtains pleat at the bottom. It was a good idea as far as it went, and a definite improvement. I ended up pinning the pleats down, which took the effectiveness up to about 90%. But just to give you an idea of the difference having the drapes made in the quality of my sleep, I slept through my alarm this morning. Like nearly an hour. Granted I am just generally knackered and “wore to a frazzle,” but with the room darker, I could sleep more deeply, and did — “full fathoms five” deep, to sneak a Shakespearean allusion in on you. (“The Tempest,” Act 1 Scene 2, for the English majors in the crowd.)

Of course, once I was awake, I realized I needed to get up for several reasons, not the least of them to start the Medrol Dosepak with the two pills before breakfast. I was up, comfortably yet modestly dressed for staying in (long winter nightgown in black jersey and a dark green fleece zip-up vest accessorized with black house shoes with white “fur” linings and a Breathe Right strip – what you might call “Boomer Goth“), and eyeing the sweet roll I had targeted for breakfast when the door knocked, and it was a guy from Hart Moving come to collect their stacking bin boxes (!). I also sweet talked him into taking the two empty packing boxes away. I did wait until I had shut the door behind him before I laid the moves on the happy dance, though. Couth. I haz it.

I’m pretty sure I can recycle the other boxes and packing materials once I get to unpacking them. I may have mentioned that Carillon is big on recycling because they have a deal with the state MHMR Residential Facility here to collect for them. The students sort the recycling and sell it for extra $$ because the State has more important things (like pork barrels) to spend money on than them. (I happily collect my contributions and take them to the designated collection point on my floor.) So, that’s two boxes and those bins gone, four boxes to go, and the plastic drawers to schlep to the Goodwill truck at Market Street once the current load is off loaded — which judging from the weather might be a while.

So far, so good . . .

Move In Status: 80% Complete. However, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. I’m going to take my outside clothes off, slip back into my night gown and snuggle into my nice, warm, remote-controlled bed with a plate of munchies, a big travel mug of hot tea, and a good book on my Kindle tablet, . . . and perhaps some knitting . . . and have a safe, sane, warm, quiet evening in. Cue: music