Riding the Wave

I unexpectedly had my first moment of nausea. Given that I was in my third week after chemotherapy, I figured that would be the least likely time for me to have a new side effect (other than hair loss).

I was out to dinner with my Mom and the hubbie on Monday night. As the waitress was reading off the specials she listed that they had $4 margaritas. I have been so very good, and have had very little to drink so I thought I would splurge and have a margarita. After all, chemo is just around the corner, and I know I will be drinking mainly water and juice for days.

The margarita arrives at the table and it’s huge. I know I won’t drink the whole thing, but I figured I would enjoy what I could of it. I take one drink, and it tastes wickedly sour. I know this is typical for a margarita, but the sour seemed REALLY sour. So I move the straw to the top of the drink, hoping that the ice cubes have maybe diluted the sour mix a bit and I take a big drink. The taste still isn’t agreeable. Within seconds a wave of nausea hits me like a brick wall.

We are sitting in a booth, and I ask Robbie to let me out. It wasn’t really a request, but more of a “LET ME OUT.” My Mom offers to go with me, but I tell her no, I’m fine, I just need to go to the bathroom.

The bathroom of course is in the back of the restaurant, and I am really feeling nauseous the entire walk. I am just hoping that I make it and don’t ruin everyone’s dinner. I finally make it there, and I go into a stall. I stand over the toilet and I’m certain that I’m going to throw-up. But after about a minute, it just passes. Completely. It’s as if I was never nauseous at all.

I washed my hands, regained composure, and returned to the table. Both Robbie and my Mom are completely freaked out. I told them I was fine, and started eating my salad. Robbie made me take one of my anti-nausea pills, even though at that point I felt perfectly fine. I hadn’t taken any of them up until that point because I just haven’t needed them.

I finished my meal, and have not felt nauseous since that moment. A margarita no longer sounds good to me at all though. I do worry that some other random food or drink will set me off. I just hope it’s not something I love – like chocolate or cheddar cheese!

Swift change of topic: Let’s talk about the hair. It’s hideous right now. It was falling out pretty heavily yesterday, so Robbie used the clippers and cut it down to an inch. I look like one of those birds that molts all of its feathers that just looks terribly pitiful. I was trying to be all “I am a badass cancer patient, and I don’t care if I look like a scary version of GI Jane, I’m going out in public!” But two minutes in the car and I stuck a hat on and haven’t taken it off. This adjustment might take a little more time than I anticipated.