Well, I spent all day making 5 pounds of bbq pork (Southern Style!) and then when it came dinner time I couldn’t look at it. The only thing I wanted was nachos and cheese from Del Taco. Boo calls it “chips in a box.” So, we had chips in a box for dinner. At least I’m a cheap date: 99 cents a box rocks.
The hardest part of chemotherapy has been what it does to my stomach. The biggest thing I’ve learned? Never eat your favorite foods during chemo…..you may never eat them again. It’s hard to explain the feeling…..but what I can eat varies almost from minute to minute. Some days even water tastes bad. Soda is atrocious and burns going down (this isn’t a bad thing, I haven’t had a Diet Coke since October of last year!) The only food I could consistently eat in chemo over and over was a banana. I bought 15 boxes of Girl Scout cookies….I’ve eat about 5 cookies total. That’s not normal!
Dr. L says that many patients get physically nauseous when they get in the car to go to chemotherapy……just a certain car route can trigger feelings of dread. It’s like Pavlov’s dog. He tells them to drive a different way to the infusion center each time to make it more bearable. The car ride didn’t bother me at all but I do have physical reactions to other things now. For example, I used my favorite purple insulated cup to hold water in at the infusion center……now just the sight of it triggers a heartburn feeling and nausea. That will be going in the trash. My bag and blanket I take every week? I’m pretty sure I’ll never be able to use them again for anything.
I pray that my break from chemotherapy is permanent……but I’m not going to focus on those weekly blood tests…..they’ll come and go and they are just another chore on my list. I’ll be a little vain and say I miss my butt. I don’t even fill out a pair of jeans now. I’ve got a sad, little flat bum haha. The spider bite from yesterday isn’t helping…..I can’t tell what side effects are cancer-related or spider bite-related now! I’m on antibiotics and it’s still spreading up my arm….. you have to laugh at that…..if it gets more serious maybe I won’t think it’s so funny…..but all I can say is: really? a poisonous spider? this must be a joke.
Hang in there and keep laughing. Flaunt your new butt…shake your moneymaker and keep on laughing!
Oh Ashley, I hope this road is a short one and your back on your path to much happiness and sunshine soon. Sending hugs!
Ashley, just remember Job. I’m sure he thought the same thing more than once — and just look at what God gave him in return for his faith!!! There are so many of us that you’ll never see this side of Heaven that are praying you through!!!
Carol
I wish I could give you some of my butt, I have way too much. Thankful you are on the road to recovery and still praying for you everyday.
I am so sorry I pray you are done with chemo, and that dang spider. That really sucks when I saw that post I wanted to kill that spider. I hope you start feeling better and as always I will keep you in my prayers 🙂
Hi Ashley….how do I buy some of your JOY bracelets? Also, if you email me your address ~ I’d love to send you a bedazzled bandana that I make.
Thx, Lorena a/k/a Reenie =)
Praying for a better day tomorrow! Heal quickly, feel better… you are ever so inspiring to many of us! You are amazing!!
Blessings,
Maria
I have butt to spare! You can have some of mine! I’ll look into transplant info for us….this is a win win for sure! Ha!!!!
I lived on egg noodles with butter and salt when I was getting chemo.. It’s no chips in a box.. But a definite comfort food.
Hopefully there was some residual chemo left in the skin on your arm and it killed the spider! He is probably thinking a poisonous woman??? Really?? LOL! Wish I had your drawing talent – I can see the picture in my head! I hope that your arm begins to feel better! God Bless You Ashley!
Seven years ago when I went through chemo we lived in La Quinta. To this day, the thought of a Chinese restaurant that we went to on chemo day makes me ill. I also can’t eat spaghetti anymore. Other tastes for food came back, so there is hope. Hang in there…
Out darn, spider venom, out! Fill up on Del Taco cheese!!
As someone who does NOT have a problem filling in a pair of jeans………….. eat up those tacos, baby!!!
Patricia
Ashley,
I sure love your posts! And I hope you get your butt back! 🙂
As a RN, I’m really concerned about your spider bite!!! If the redness is “traveling” up your arm, you really need to be seen ASAP – like in an urgent care or the ED. You may need IV antibiotics pretty quick.
Chips in a box… yummmm!
🙂
Ashley,
As another RN, I am concerned about the redness traveling up your arm. I know you are very knowledgable, but you may need some IV antibiotics like Brandy said. I would have it checked to be safe. It may be a cellulitis- requiring a different antibiotic.
Amber
My sweet little cousin survived on Taco Bell “chips in a box” during chemo. Everyday we made a trip to Taco Bell. I believe in the “chips in a box”! 🙂 She has been cancer free for 7 years!
God Bless you. Feel better soon. Keeping you in my prayers.
My husband just started Chemo last week, after two weeks of diagnostic tests. Some really supportive friends pointed me to your blog. My heart smiled when I saw the tag Choose Joy. It’s what I’ve tried to live daily from a young age and I’ve seen it work miracles. Thank you for sharing your journey and your joy.
The spider bite is freaking me out. Spider bites are serious. Please tell us you went to a real Dr. and didn’t stay satisfied with urgent care? The lady at urgent care one Saturday a few months ago poo-poohed my assertion that my son had strep (because I recognized the rash on his face- seriously that’s how my kids show strep & she acted like I was one of those crazy moms) So I brought him Monday to the real pediatric dr. and they did a simple little 5 min. strep test and yep, he had strep and left untreated it could have possibly resulted in a horrible lifelong need for regular injections.
I’m not saying that’s gonna happen (praying it won’t) but still, a doctor with knowledge of your specific needs from an immunity standpoint is going to do a better job of treating that bite.
And I hope that my above comment made sense. My experience with urgent care has been less than impressive. Probably from what I can tell, they are best at treating small open wounds with glue and suggesting we treat the strep rash with cortizone cream, cold sore medicine and triple antibiotic salve…talk about CYA. Not so great when treating recently chemo-ed women for spider bites.
Boo remembers me of my daughter, for her, the McDonald’s happy meal are “fríes in a box” (patatas de caja!).
Hopefully you have finish with chemo, and will be feeling better soon. And about the Spider bite, I would go to a doctor immediately, probably after all that chemo, your body is not strong enough to fight the poison without IV antibiotics.
Your post does not sound so joyful today, may those chips in a box comfort you a little.
Big big hugs from Spain to you and your family.
María
Ugh, Ashley it sounds like “One of those weeks”. I wish you well, enjoy your chips in a box. We LOVE del-taco here at our house.
I am a huge sucker for chips and nacho cheese. Holy yum those look so good!! I’m glad you can keep laughing through this!
I so agree with the things you said. The taste of soda with those kind of meds is atrocious! I still can’t eat some of my favorite foods I’ve eaten when I was in bad shape and being treated so I agree, eat things you really don’t care about. I wondered when you said you were making something in the crock pot if it was going to bother you. I actually get heartburn from smelling things in the crockpot before. Weird! Hang in there and I know it’s the absolute last thing you want to do (I absolutely understand) but you should call the doctor about your bite. Your immunity is so low right now. I’ve had things that are harmless affect me in a serious way because of health ailments. Take care and I’m sending healing thoughts and prayers your way. 🙂
Keep positive! My mom just went through chemo. She had breast cancer and cancer behind the chest wall. The one thing she tells everyone who has found out they have cancer is to stay positive and pray. It sounds like you are doing great! Soon this will all be behind you. I’ll keep you in my prayers and you keep doing what you are so good at…we all love your ideas and crafts!
I had similar reactions to everything the two times I went through chemo. Even the smell of my mom’s car, from when she’d take me to get my treatments, still triggers a reaction years later. My aunt made me a quilt and I actually put it away in the closet at the time, because I didn’t want to ruin it by forever associating it with being sick. And the one thing I could eat to no end was potato chips with french onion dip!
Good luck to you — you’re through the worst of it now, and that’s a great feeling.
I’ve been wondering about that bite! Praying.
I’m praying for your full recovery! I am concerned about the spider bite. Hope you don’t wait to get it seen by a doctor a second time… *hugs*
I wished there was some way i could take away all the bad memories. I would do it . I am just thrilled that u have a break in going to chemo and hopefully never again . I just thaught of some thing maybe get hypnosis to forget all bout it huh good idea. I will pray for you to forget all the bad ok wish and its gone enjoy all that u can . U remind me of me with the cheap date thing im easy too. Love to you and yours . Blesssings to you all for a happy Easter love u Cheyenne a cancer survivor too
I’ll be happy to share some of my butt with you. I have a spider bite, too. It looks kind of icky, so may have to go get antibiotics. Hope your’s feels better.
Ashley, I feel normal now…..I got rid of my bag and blanket I took to chemo…I also couldn’t wear my winter coat I wore last year this winter…couldn’t even get it out of the closet this year and will just donate it as I will never wear it. I totally understand the “sick to you stomach” feeling driving to the infusion center. Even to this date, over a year later, when I drive past the hospital I have to try not to look as I get so anxious. Oh, I also donated the boots I wore everyday…I just couldn’t wear them again this winter., so I got new ones 🙂 I am so glad chemo is over for you!!! Isn’t it an amazing feeling? Happy Easter! Love, Amy
I am a little late to the post, but I agree with what Lauren posted. Spider bites are very serious. I had a neighbor that was bitten and the venom kept traveling up his leg. The Doctor said that if he hadn’t been treated properly, it would have ended in a bad way. I think you should call Mr L? and tell him what happened…Feel Better.
What I want to know is if the spider went home to tell his family, he had become a “Superhero” from all the drugs. LOL
Praying for your cancer free days and your arm. God willing your healing will continue, and your hair will turn grey from age. God Bless, J
I hope the damn spider died after he bite you.
Ohhhh I hear u this summer will be one year since my chemo But I can’t drive that route I start to scream if my husband forgets and goes that one way. I also can’t look at my chemo bag. I did tiny little felt crafts during infusions something not to big and cumbersome, nowi can’t even smell felt. I did have huge issues with seltzer water, but its ok now. I also loved soda during chemo, only drink I could handle ,water was my enemy, andi still like soda, unfortunately. Hopefully this will be in the past for both of us and we will someday laugh at all this