Wheat Grass! Yeah, Baby!

Erin and I watched the Academy Awards together. We dressed for the red carpet ... or at least our feet did. We wore sparkles.

On Wednesday ... leap day ... I finished a work project that had been absorbing me for a long time, mostly since November. The last couple of weeks were crunch time but we got it done! Yeah! A 6 year project. Done and reported. Adrenaline kept me churning up until Thursday morning when I crashed a bit. I took the day off and booked myself for my very first massage. I've had a massage therapist work on my frozen shoulders and I've had lymphatic massage but I've never before had a relaxing massage. So that's what I had. It felt lovely! It was 45 minutes of massage ... head to toe ... and then hot paraffin for my hands and feet. The hot wax was in bags that were slipped over my feet and hands, secured, and then towels wrapped around them to keep them hot. It gave me a flash back to ice boots and ice gloves while having chemo except this felt a whole lot better! In fact, it felt lovely. I was a little afraid it might induce a hot flash but it didn't. It made my hands and feet so soft.

After my massage I stopped at the the health food store and picked up some vitamins, supplements, and organics. Hannah had recommended that her Dad try oregano oil ... a few drops under his tongue ... to help chase away the cold and sinus infection that's been plaguing him since November. Hannah is also a proponent of "greens". I've never tried them but I decided to pick a variety of sample packs. Just to try. So Friday morning, as soon as I got up, I stirred a packet of powdered wheat grass into about half a cup of water and proceeded to CHOKE it down! Oh. My God! It was like eating a couple of spoonfuls of dirt from the backyard. My first thought was, "I'm glad I didn't buy a can of the stuff because there is no way in hell I'll ever let that stuff pass my lips again!"

And then, because I still have a bit of a cold and my sinuses feel like they're having "issues", I put a little oil of oregano under my tongue. Holy MAN! That's powerful stuff! It burns ... I should have diluted it a little ... and then, as Kevin described it, my mouth tasted like a pack of Kraft pizza spices. I could feel it clearing my sinuses, though, so that's a good thing.

Now here's the interesting part ... I felt good on Friday. I felt really good. Uncommonly good. I felt better than I've felt since ... well, I can't even remember when I last felt as good as I did yesterday! I was very conscious of my eyes feeling very wide open! I had more energy than usual and was able to concentrate pretty much like "normal". NORMAL! Nothing about me has felt very "normal" for a few years now. Even with having taken Thursday off, I would still typically feel worn out the next day. It seems I ALWAYS feel worn out. It's been getting ever so tedious to feel so dragged down. But yesterday. WOW! I felt awesome!

I got my hair cut and coloured at noon. Van cut off some more of the ratty chemo curls and my curls are much softer and looser than they were. My hair is still curlier than it used to be but not nearly so tight. Van noted that my hair is getting a bit thicker. My scalp isn't nearly so noticeable at the back. It's still thin but thin all over instead of really baldish at the crown.

After work, Kevin and I met up with Chantelle and Kelly for dinner and a movie. Usually on a Friday I'm too tired to go out at all and a late movie is absolutely out of the question, but last night I was just fine for a late night movie! AMAZING! We went to Wonderlust and laughed ourselves silly! There are some really funny parts. I don't think it's Oscar material but then comedies rarely are. We sure laughed, which was great.

So ... how do I explain such a sudden and dramatic increase in energy? I don't think it was the massage, which while it felt good, gave me a slight headache that persisted until I finally took a Tylenol Friday morning. Was it that icky powdered wheat grass? Was it the oil of oregano? I'm not sure. But whatever it is I want it to last. I REALLY want it to last. I slept long last night and this morning I tried a packet of goji flavoured powdered greens and stirred it into a shot glass of water. It wasn't nearly as bad as the powdered wheat grass. Then I put some diluted oil of oregano under my tongue. Today I felt uncommonly good, too. Relentless fatigue has been one of the toughest things for me to deal with and it seems I can never get enough rest to relieve it. But yesterday and today, my fatigue hasn't been an issue. I have the energy to do things I usually struggle to muster up the energy for ... things that seem like such chores. Today I happily got lots of things done at home ... things I previously have to make myself do ... and I even wanted to go out! I rarely want to leave the house on a weekend. Kevin and I checked out the show home, which has some very nice features ... and a few odd ones such as kitchen cupboards that are so high they should have built a library ladder into the design. Just the fact that I wanted to go out today is most unusual. Sometimes Kevin coaxes me out on a weekend or sometimes there are things I HAVE to go out to do but WANTING to go out is very unusual. I sometimes felt "tired" today but not "fatigued". Tired = sleepy. Fatigued = awake but with mind and body in a coma.

Anyway ... whatever this is I want to keep it. I now understand how people get hooked on drugs! I will even drink more wheat grass if I can keep feeling like this.

I have always marveled at the things Hannah eats. So many of the things she regularly eats or drinks taste like crap to me. When I asked her how she can eat stuff like that she explained that if she knows something is good for her she just makes herself like it. I'm not convinced I can do that but I'm sure I can find a way to continue choking down wheat grass / greens if I can continue feeling like this.

It's March. That means St. Patty's! I'm a fan and always celebrate my inner-Irish on St. Patty's day! Instead of green beer this year, I think I'll toss a shot of wheat grass instead. It's green.