Asking for Answers.

04/15/15 - I think anyone who's ever gone through this journey of fighting cancer will tell you that it's an emotional roller coaster.  One day you'll be coping fine & get a lot done, other days, you'll barely be able to get out of bed or the house - and that's BEFORE your treatment even starts.  The latter totally applied to  me yesterday.  I stayed in my PJ's all day, barely got anything done & had to watch the season premier of Game of Thrones TREE times because I either couldn't retain anything due to lack of concentration or would dose off due to great difficulties sleeping over the past week.

Fortunately, the sunshine returned both literally & figuratively speaking today, and so today has  been a much better day.  Took the dogs for a walk right after I got up & then went to the dentist to get that out of the way while I'm still well enough to do it.  The walk, sunshine & seeing people who, for once, didn't poke me with a needle did me a world of good.  Still tired, but I'm feeling better able to cope for now...

I'm also feeling slightly less stressed after calling Healthlink today re: questions I had in preparation for my consultation & next batch of results this coming Monday.  As the nurse & I were chatting, she recommended a great website done by Alberta Healthcare that has good & ACCURATE information!  I'd also add it's EASY TO UNDERSTAND & is written in plain English.  :)

In particular, I've been wondering - or more aptly STRESSING - about my upcoming chemo & radiation therapy, as I had no idea what to expect.  The above mentioned site has answered a lot of questions, and although some of the answers aren't pretty, it still really put my mind at ease.  Here are links to the chemo & radiation sections:

Chemotherapy: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=tf3284
Radiation treatment: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/tests-treatments/pages/conditions.aspx?Hwid=hw206439

If the above links don't work, just go to https://myhealth.alberta.ca and type either "chemo" or "radiation" (without the quotes) in the search box found on the upper right corner, then click the first link that comes up in the search results.

Also, for those here in Canada either living with cancer or who have a loved one fighting the disease, I found this yesterday (one of the few things I managed to do!) @ the Canadian Cancer Society's website, where they talk about their free peer support program.  If the counselling through the hospital isn't free or covered by my insurance, I'll probably check this out.  Scratch that.  I *WILL DEFINITELY* check it out regardless.  I need all the help I can get right now!  I also plan to inquire tomorrow what sort of support my employer's *free* EAP (Employee Assistance Program) offers specifically for cancer patients.

*[NOTE: Post title inspired by the Placebo song "Ask for Answers" off their 1997 album "Without You I'm Nothing".]