Had a bit of a scare yesterday - actually, quite a scare - about midway through the day I started shivering uncontrollably. I had on three pairs of socks, a hat, two jackets - and I still couldn't break the chill. Eventually I got into bed under four blankets and with a little space heater turned up full blast - after about an hour, it got a little better.
I wasn't running a fever so I didn't immediately go to the hospital, despite my doctor's recommendation - it would have meant calling Wendy and having her return from work early on a day I know she had a ton of things to finish. And she would have done it without a second thought or complaint - but who WANTS to go to a hospital? So I decided to sit it out and see.
The girls took really good care of me - mostly because I made it their chore (meaning they didn't have to clean anything else before dinner.) Evelyn decided I needed a hat, so she brought me her "Drama Queen" had and earmuffs. She even let me use her poop emjoi blanket when the four I already had over me weren't enough. It was actually really sweet.
Wendy came home and shortly after I went to bed - I could barely get up the stairs without passing out, and I just kept saying "This is WEIRD." And still no fever. A few hours later, I woke up sweating horribly under my hoard of blankets - and nothing I did could get my body to cool down. I opened the windows, laid on the cold floor and turned on a fan until I felt comfortable enough to go back to sleep with a single blanket.
This morning, everything hurts - probably from 16 hours of uncontrollable shivering - and I have a raging headache. But I'm not plagued with chills or hot flashes at the moment, and so the trip to the hospital is off the table (thankfully!)
That's the thing that I find hardest about post-cancer care - EVERYTHING scares you. Things you would have brushed off before cancer suddenly cause you to question your health in the scariest of ways.
I'm not complaining - just sharing parts of my story. Maybe they'll help someone else - maybe it's just helpful to me to express them.
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