Creamy marzipan cake

Thursday afternoon I managed to get a few hours sleep and woke up around 18:00 and felt pretty refreshed.

I have a really good appetite at the moment assisted by the steroid Dexamethason which stimulates this even more. My pasta that I reheated tasted great and I managed to have two full bowls.

As far as any side effects go I little to report thankfully except that I have a rosy glow on my face and chest…looks a bit like sunburn and feels warm to the touch.

I had a fantastic night sleep and slept from 23:00 through until 06:30 which for me is amazing as since after the operation I usually wake every 2-3 hours to pee throughout the night because of the capacity of the new bladder.

Sleeping that long was great although I will be honest I woke up in a damp puddle in my bed. So the Cisplatinum chemo kept me from waking up naturally with the urge to pee. Next month when I have it again I will have to set my alarm.

Changing bedding has never been a chore I have loved so I will have to prepare more next time. I always have a sanitary towel in my underwear special designed for men that I get free from a medical company here in Holland and the insurance pays. My mattress has also a protector so it is just a sheet change which is no real hassle.

At the very beginning of this journey with my new bladder I was very emotional regarding the incontinence problems and luckily it is something I have just got used too as it now affects little of my life and my daily routine of slipping a towel in my underwear is enough to have a sense of security.

My bladder will stretch over time and the ability to retain more urine will increase allowing me to extend my sleeping pattern and eventually it should become a once a night event. I will be more than happy when this becomes routine as it is with many people with a regular bladder also.

Yesterday was also a great day and I was able to function normally and I took the last of the sickness medicine Emend 80mg along with the Dexamethason. The Dexamethason continues for one more day tomorrow and then I am off the meds until chemo on Tuesday next week.

Later in the after noon yesterday I started to feel a few cold chills along with a slight headache and strange feeling in my head….just like my brain was shivering inside…the rosy glow is still with me and I have noticed that my concentration levels have diminished. None of these feelings are stopping me from functioning or causing any concern to me.

It was great to get out of the house later that evening to a birthday drink with a lovely neighbour friend over the road and I had a delicious wedge of creamy marzipan cake with a dry white wine which I sipped gently and enjoyed very much.

It seemed as though I was present in body and could listen to conversation but was happy ad relaxed to sit back and enjoy rather than participate the way I normally would have with conversation. I was in the presence of people I know very well and was able to sit back and relax with no pressure to do anything. Just what I needed a night out of the house amongst people I love and admire and a way to get away from my thoughts that I would have at home alone in the daytime.