Hot Flashes!!

I thought having Cancer in the summer months wouldn't be so bad. Since I don't have to shave anymore I can just throw on a pair of shorts and go! With no hair on my head I won't have that nasty sweat dripping down the back of my neck in the sweltering heat this summer. And best of all, I wouldn't be cooped up in the house hiding from winter (that I hate anyway). This was all well and good until I had my first hot flash!! Boy did that suck!

It was just the other night after my second chemo treatment. I hit the hay early because I knew that my stomach would start doing acrobatics soon and I would need to lay down. I was cold when I went to bed so Paul brought me the beautiful quilt my Aunt & Uncle sent me and laid it on top of the other quilt and blanket and sheet that I was already under. I found that although I was tired I was unable to sleep. Luckily I have many many books to power through on my downtime so I jumped in to the one I was currently reading....I finished it. I started a new one and soon found myself drifting off. It was still early in the night and I awoke at 9:00pm to sweat pouring off of me! I threw back the blankets and gasped for air! I laid there for a while thinking it was just the number of covers I had on me that was causing the heat...a half hour later, I was still roasting! By now my stomach was in full swing (sometimes the anti-nausea drug just doesn't work) but I knew that I needed to get out of the full length pant pj's I went to bed in. I needed shorts and no sleeves. I groped my way to the closet and luckily found what I was looking for, I changed quickly and then threw myself on the bed hoping that by being horizontal my stomach would calm down. I realized that my Blackberry was laying on the bed....Paul was outside enjoying the "nice" (yeah, nice and HOT!) weather we were having......I sent him a text "TOO HOT!!" As soon as it was sent I heard the front door fly open and Paul running to the thermostat to turn the air conditioning on! Shortly after that I was cool again. Paul froze that night, but I was okay!

My second hot flash happened just this evening....at, of all places, the Laundromat! When I entered the Laundromat I noted that it was the same temperature it always is...warm because of the dryers and I thought nothing more of it. I like the heat for the most part. Little did I know what was about to happen! While our clothes were in the washer I sat and read my book. When I got up to move our clothes from the washer to the dryer I noticed a woman looking at me funny, she was trying to hide the fact that she was looking and me and wondering about the bandana on my head. I've always noticed the other "weirdos" in the Laundromat but tonight was the first time I felt like someone might think that I was one of them! Soon after a very loud obnoxious man came strolling in with a shopping cart carrying his laundry...no longer was I the weirdo! I listened to this man argue with the owner of the Laundromat and constantly complain about the machines....all I could think of was how negative he was and how ugly it all sounded. Finally my drying was done, all I had to do was fold and leave! No sooner did I get up to get the first load out than I realized just how hot I was! Holy crap!! And I still had to reach in to hot dryers and fold hot clothes!! I thought I was going to die! Thankfully we only had 3 loads so I worked quickly and got out of there. As soon as I was in the drivers seat of my car I cranked on the air-conditioning!! Ah, sweet relief! The car ride home was too short, but I moved quickly again to get the baskets of clothes from the car in to the coolness of the house.

I've heard women speak of hot flashes and how awful they can be but I never thought of myself having them....I now feel your pain ladies!! Thankfully we live in the day and age of air conditioning to help us through these vile hot flashes!!