Well,my faithful friend Bunny did what she always does when she comes to visit. She “forget” to pack enough clothing so now we have a valid excuse to go shopping together 🙂  

Strike that. We never needed a valid excuse in the past. Bunny is the kind of friend that I like to shop with. She makes decisions fast and knows what she wants. 

I felt strong coming off of the fluids yesterday, but today was a lot harder. I had to constantly search for places to sit down and it took a lot to get my back pain to stop. On the positive side, I have been able to taste my food and have been eating like a real person. Bunny is great in the kitchen and makes a nice snack plate   Tonight, we  got takeout from our favorite Thai restaurant and ordered way more than we need for one day hoping that it will last us as tapas for the week. 

Side note : You may notice by now that I talk a lot about food. To me, the miracle is that I am able to eat the foods I like with the exception of salad, most green vegetables, fiber, wheat products,. On the other hand, that leaves a lot of food available and I don’t really have to worry about calories now, do I?   Unfortunately, something in the Thai meal  did not sit well with me and I spent the evening in quite a bit of pain.

Hold onto your hats because here comes another of my lists of hard learned advice: 

1. Don’t be afraid to play the cancer card. That doesn’t mean that you are taking advantage of anyone, it just means that you need help. Be sure to ask for help when you need it and accept it when it’s given. 
2. Take time every day to either relax in the tub or to go to the swimming pool. It is amazingly soothing and relaxing. If you are wanting to do some exercise a  pool is the safest and most beneficial place for you.

1. Use your days wisely.  If you’re having a great day, go do things you can’t do on the bad days.  For me, that’s great shopping for the last three days 🙂 I did bring the walker with a seat today and I was so glad I did because while I could shop, I really need to sit down quite a lot. Marshalls and TJ Maxx don’t count me out yet!
2. Listen to music. I prefer Vintage soft rock from the 70s, instrumentals and light jazz. Music is so transformational  and can take you out of your body.  Take time to lay back comfortably with a heating pad on your stomach and great music in your ears. Close your eyes and follow the music.  Music therapy demonstrates effectiveness in decreasing anxiety and pain, supporting relaxation, reducing sedation medication during procedures, and improving patient satisfaction
3. Find pain meds that work for your pain.  I use extra strength Tylenol during the day with medical marijuana. Night time is Colace, gas x, and Tylenol PM. I’ve had prescriptions for opioids, but they can be highly addictive and cause constipation.  My life’s goals has been reduced to burping, farting and pooping so the opioid constipation is not a consideration.  💩
4. Ask for help.  Bunny helped me make a food train so Hans doesn’t have to cook all the time.  If you don’t know about how it works, visit, mealtrain.com.