[2020-11-18] Patterns of recovery and online shopping

I can always tell when I'm getting better: I drink more.

I've been tracking my water consumption in Fitbit since just before my second round of chemotherapy. Fitbit visually presents my progress over 7 days and provides the data for the prior period. You can see a definite pattern.



Round 2
Round 3
Chemo Day
8 cups
8 cups
Pyjama Day 1
8 cups
8 cups
Pyjama Day 2
5 cups
5 cups
Pyjama Day 3
5 cups
4 cups
Pyjama Day 4
6 cups
5 cups
Pyjama Day 5
7 cups
7 cups

My water consumption correlates with how I feel: the lower the consumption, the more upset my stomach. Knowing my pattern of recovery from chemotherapy reassures me that I'm not getting worse over subsequent treatments, and helps to quell feelings in the moment, such as "Maybe I won't get better this time."

What's also interesting in the data is the fact that the nausea doesn't really kick in until a day and a half after chemo. This round, I felt so good on Pyjama Day 1 that I made a dessert in the morning and spent the day up and at 'em in real clothes (as opposed to sleepwear). But by suppertime, I was starting to feel sleepy.

Pyjama Days 2, 3 and 4, this round and in previous rounds, were truly spend-the-day-in-bed occasions.

Today—on Pyjama Day 5—I've taken meals with my family in the kitchen, but otherwise retreated to my bedroom. Nevertheless, it was a productive day. I spent most of it engaged in online shopping.

I'm new to the world of online shopping, at least in the sense of making it my primary means of buying Christmas presents. I must say that I'm really enjoying it and may take this approach in future years.

I've tried to buy local or, at minimum, from Canadian retailers. I'm impressed with the responsiveness of every company I've dealt with and how forthcoming they have been with information about my orders—when they're received, when they're shipped, whether there were any issues (in one case, for example, I needed to substitute an available item for one that was out of stock when the company went to fulfill my order), and when the item was delivered.

If you're considering online shopping this year—either because you want to avoid mall crowds or you're pressed for time—I would encourage you to give it a shot. And don't forget to stay hydrated and make water your drink of choice.