Part Twenty-Four: Two-Hour Time Limit

            This past week has been one of learning more about energy:  how much do I have, how will I spend it, and what activities spend it more quickly than others?  Honestly, over the years I have grown rather smug in my personal energy knowledge, but as with most things in life, there is always more to learn.

            If you are one of the boundless-energy-blessed people in the world, more power to you!  You may not even realize that you have so much energy.  Try counting your blessings every time you take a walk, do an errand, clean your house, get out with friends, work a job, enjoy a favorite hobby, or go on vacation.  Okay, enough for lists. 

            If your energy or mobility is waning, be grateful for what you still have—and use it and try to gradually increase it—but respect your new limits.  Okay, enough for unsolicited advice.

            My new energy package for outings seems to have, in general, a two-hour time limit.  With great joy, I exercised that limit on Sunday, attending church for the first time in a month.  It was wonderful to worship and to fellowship, even though I needed to maintain a handshake-free and hug-free zone to protect myself from germs. 

            During that time in church, I learned a few more things about energy usage.  First, the obvious:  walking and standing.  Oh, the joy of walking in the familiar north entrance down the hall, and into the sanctuary, talking with people along the way.  Oh, the relief to sit down on the cushioned pew and the discovery that the intersecting corner of pew back and side is a perfect place to support a weary body.  Yes, I gratefully slouched in the corner.  And once I sat down, I was not about to get back up:  I stayed put all the way through the service until the closing hymn.  As much as I like to sing hymns, I couldn’t get through a whole one.  Evidently, singing takes more energy than I thought, as does reading aloud.  And it was probably a good thing to have the hour of sitting in worship soaking up the singing, the readings, and the message before walking over to the coffee connection room to enjoy some more fellowship time.  Conversations take energy, too.  But all of these energy-takers are joy-givers.

            Back at home, I’ve learned to do a couple little things and then rest in the recliner for a while, maybe even doze, before getting up to do more.  I do what I can when I can—and that changes day by day, depending where in the chemo cycle I am. 

            I have more to write, specifically about yesterday’s treatment day, but I think it is time to move from computer chair to recliner.  And then maybe do something about my dirty dishes in the sink before the Neulasta pump delivers its medicine starting at 5:52 p.m.  After that, I’ll feel worse and recline some more, maybe listen to some praise worship and hymns.  For the next few days, I’ll stay in the house, having temporarily lost energy for outings, and look forward to some more two-hour time limits next week.