Saturday, June 9, 2012

Looking for a smooth road


The pain is just cruel sometimes. Here is my Saturday evening, out on the town. I take my moment to get out of the house for the first time of the day, due to childcare.  I make a bee line to the grocery store to get some groceries and supplies. The one outing I can do successfully as a handicap lady. I drive into my handicap parking spot and hobble into the store with my lovely cane in hand. I walk up to the scooters and pick out a lovely green one for the evening. I unplug it, get on and ride the store looking for what I really need "Poise" pads. For those of you who don't know what they are, they are pads for incontinence. Okay can my Saturday night get any sexier? No it cannot. I am driving through the store and realize there is now liquor for sale in the grocery store. I observe groups of people looking for their choice of liquor for the night. People my age dressed up going to parties. Then here I am with my Poise and cane in my scooter basket ready for my Saturday night. I check out and they bag everything except my Poise. Yes world I have an incontinence problem. I drive the scooter to my car and load my groceries and my POISE into my car. This 41 year old is ready for a hot Saturday night of fun!! I drive home to continue my parenting duties of cleaning and putting down my 3 year old to sleep. Can someone make a movie about my life already, a tragic comedy. I find this quite funny, the sarcastic side of me. 

The sensitive side of me finds this night a sad night. I dreamt for years about being a mom and what my life would be like after having a child. So having been diagnosed with cancer soon after becoming a new mom has skewed view of parenting. I think my woes go beyond that of a parent with a toddler. I have the right to complain. 

The next day I had an opportunity to get some body work to help my lymphedema. I learned some body compression through body wrapping. As well as some lymphatic massage. I was wrapped up in light fleece and a thin ace like bandage. The compression wrap made my leg look like the Michelin man. It was snug but doable. I hobbled around and slept in this wrap. Around11:30 pm I woke up in a lot of pain and needed to take off the compression wrap. My pain felt so intense that nothing would relieve it. The anxiety I feel with my pain is so real.  

It is almost a week later and all has gone to pot, as they say. The pain continues to dominate. I ended up with a heel size blister on my heel. On the foot that has no feeling. However the pain is preventing me from walking so I am living on crutches now. I am doing daily wound healing, ugh. I ended up in Seattle at mom's house last Wednesday. I was done with the pain. Friday I spent the afternoon at the ER. I was diagnosed with a right ureter obstruction. It is time for my right kidney stent replacement. So I spent time making phone calls and have a stent replacement scheduled, Thursday the 14th the day after my PET scan.

I have been sleeping a lot and getting help with childcare. I am working on a new help plan. My inability to walk and pain issues are showing me, again,  that I need help. Coming to terms with my disability is challenging. Please keep the prayers coming!
Sent from my iPad 

Sent from my iPad

6 comments:

Rosetta Maranos said...

I am breathing deep and sending you all the healing energy I can Alexis.

Wendy said...

Oh Alexis. I am so sorry and sad. I am hugging you from far and hate it. I hate cancer so much, what it takes away. You are so amazing, 5 minutes at a time girl.

Connie said...

What I love about you is that you are honest,genuine and real. Yes, pain is cruel and you are brave enough to call a spade a spade and name it. I will pray for a smoother road and continued strength for you. Here is another gentle(long distance) hug. ck

Lisa Walgamott Yoshino said...

Thinking of you. So sorry for what you have endured. Your stength, poise andhumor is a lesson for us all! Stay strong. XO Lisa Yoshino

Stephanie said...

I will keep you in my prayers, Alexis. Love you, and I am so sorry for your suffering.

Stephanie said...

I will keep you in my prayers, Alexis. Love you, and I am so sorry for your suffering.