Post7: Clogged pipes
Vital statistics:
Temp: normal 
BP: 120/75/56
Weight: stable
Hair: still there 
Anything else? Slight sniffles
Breakfast arrived while I was still in bed at 9:00am, delivered with My Darling’s smiling face. My usual avoidance of food at this ungodly hour had to be cancelled—steroids require fuel.
(I should explain: I work a late shift, starting at 3pm, so anything before midday is practically nocturnal.)
The only issue with the fabulous-looking bowl was the sheer size of it. (See photo.)
Two Weetabix at the bottom, topped with not-so-creamy yoghurt, banana, mango, and a sprinkle of chunky seeds. Very nice… but now I need a long walk to recover from it ha ha.
Housekeeping rules have changed a bit since we got the run-down on avoiding chemo-related complications.
Her and his towels.
Her and his toilets. Yes, toilets.
We’re lucky enough to have two, so the downstairs one is now hers, and the bathroom upstairs is mine. The reason? My toxic wee. 
Since chemo yesterday, any fluids I excrete are apparently laced with substances potent enough to stop cancer cells growing—which means it’s not something a healthy person should come into contact with. Hence, separate loos and a double flush every time for safety.
Wow. The things you have to learn.
Back to that glorious breakfast—and the need to walk it off. After hearing at the Day Unit yesterday that Carboplatin might make my skin more sensitive to sunlight, I made sure to suit up for our outing.
From top to bottom:
• Ducati baseball cap
• Hoodie pulled up to protect my ears
• An ancient but lightweight corduroy coat (inherited from someone, somewhere)
• Blue-jean longs (rather than my usual shorts)
• Dark sunglasses to complete the spy look
Even my Mum wouldn’t have recognised me.
My Darling and I did a lap around the block, just shy of two miles, and popped into the Co-op for hummus and veg for later. It was great to be out in the fresh air after a couple of days in hospital, and cool enough that I kept my strange outfit buttoned up the whole time.
Maybe I’m feeling the cold a little more than usual? I don’t know. But I enjoyed the outing.
We’ll aim to walk a little each day—it’ll do us both good.
And finally…
Warning: Look away now if you’re squeamish!
Now I understand why I was handed a giant box of Laxido yesterday, alongside the anti-sickness meds and steroids.
Constipation. Ouch.
The nurse did warn me, of course—but with my usual healthy disregard for unnecessary meds, I skipped it.
Today, I’ve been eating those words… and reaching for the sachets.
I won’t go into detail—some of you might be having a snack while reading this—but let’s just say:
I had to coax the tortoise out with a lettuce leaf.
They say you learn something new every day.
Today I learned that a healthy poison infusion can seriously clog up your pipes.
I’m still on my first tricycle loop.
A bit sore, but hanging in there.
And as long as I’ve got My Darling’s hand to hold, I’m the King—with my Queen.
