Thoughts from the frontline - 18

Today I have blank paper syndrome. For once I do not have an instant idea of what to write on here this morning. What was Thursday 6th August like for this particular cancer patient? Ah, now I remember... The day was normal. A day where my cancer did not take over my life in any bad way at all. A normal day and it was FAB! Yes, a lot of what I did was because of the cancer but it was now just normal and it didn't make me feel like a victim of any kind. So I had to do whatever it was because of the cancer but so what? It all started with an early trip to the supermarket to buy some frozen fruit. Now this was an essential trip as part of the strategy to change the yucky protein drinks into something that didn't strive to make me vomit! The plan? Take one can of protein gunk and mix in a handful of frozen mixed fruits and give it all a quick spin in the blender. Result: instant smoothie. Now this wasn't a smoothie that I would queue up for at a trendy smoothie bar but it did make the drink something that I could actually consume without it being a "hold your nose and swallow quick" sort of thing. And these were essential and what the consultant had ordered as my pre op build up so it had to be done. Now the protein smoothies had been cracked I just had to sort out what they were doing to my blood sugar levels as they were a "complete meal in a can" and I had been instructed to eat my normal three meals a day PLUS two of the protein drinks. When I get some spare time I will have a look at the tins and see how many extra calories I am now eating. At the moment I'm not worried as they have told me that I will loose a stone in weight during the operation. Much much quicker than Weight Watchers! :-) Now, I was also gearing up my advised support diet by buying a big carton of cranberry juice which the medical team had told me was great for prevention (cure?) of any urinary infections. Chilled from the fridge, nice drink. I can do this with no problems. However... the bloody stuff is stuffed full of sugar to get over the horrible taste of cranberries. What with the protein drinks and the cranberry juice it looks like I'm going to have to double my insulin injections every day! But the great wise one (yes that's you T) explained that they did cranberry tablets that had all the goodness of the antioxidants etc but without the bucket loads of sugar. And they sell them as Tesco really cheap! [cranberry tablets, I should explain, are also available at other well know supermarkets]. Well the day was a mixture of work and chores until we went off into town to buy a lampshade for the utility room. We have such a fun cosmopolitan life here!!! Please can any visitors to our little home take a look at the lampshade as it has taken us about 10 visits to shops to find just a simple shade that we both liked that didn't need a mortgage to buy it! And do you know what was best about this normal day? Well, I had my stoma bag stuck to my stomach all day and I wasn't really aware of it any more. I certainly wasn't worried that it would fall off or leak everywhere. I had felt normal all day at it was great. A day of boring normality. Yippie!!! Andrew xx