Seven Mouse Days

At least I can watch some football on day four. 

Guys.

It's day three after my last rituximab infusion. And I feel like it's day three after my last infusion. After this my fourth dose, it seems as though I can predict with a fair amount of accuracy just how this old body will react based on the days that have passed since a mouse IV. I'm glad that day three is almost over.

So I'm predicting that on day four, things will continue to get better. My brain will emerge just a bit more out of the fog, I'll be able to do more things around the house than I could on day three, but it will still be too early for me to feel.....good. Not yet. Oh, I won't have any big-time issues, with the exception of this strange heaviness through my body.

On day four, I should be able to shower, dress, dry my hair, and do a few household chores before getting horizontal for an hour or two. After which I'll tentatively try doing a few more things, like making a simple supper, or walking out to get the mail.

On day four, my sense of humor will not have returned yet. I will miss it, because I will be able to tell that it's gone. Humor and satire and thinking in general will simply take too much energy. I will be able to appreciate funnies made by other folks, but I sure won't be able to concoct any.

On day four I'll alternate between activity and rest periods, and will begin the frustrating process of determining what is too much and how much is too little.

On day four, crankiness will enter the picture. Sorry, guys. But after this, my fourth dose of mouse, I know without doubt that I will begin to feel resentful that I can't immediately jump ahead in this process and experience that blessed boost of energy...and a resentful Julia isn't nice. At all.

Thankfully, day FIVE arrives after four, which means that I will feel incrementally better, which means that day SIX is on the way.

And then, it's day SEVEN. Which seems to be the magic day when the good energy tips the scale in it's favor, and I can become upright more often than horizontal, which is a good thing.

Ahhh. Can't get here soon enough.