A Good Bad Day

I feel pretty good the first few days after chemo, then the Ugh starts to roll in. First a sensation on the tip of my tongue, not burning—more like the numbness that occurs after a burn. Then my tongue swells a bit, there’s a hint of iron at the back of my mouth and soon everything tastes of it. My shoulders are achy, a headache starts at the top of my head and slides down to my eyes. My stomach feels queasy. I get really, really, really tired.

I had the last one Monday and, believe me, I have no desire to prove the point—but I think I figured out the best way to deal with it this time. I am obsessive by nature. Too impatient to watch a series, even one I love, week by week, I’d far rather wait until the DVD’s come out and I can watch them in great gulps. I did it with the first two seasons of "Downton Abbey" and figured I’d have to wait, maybe even a year, to watch the third.

But no! There it was on the rack at Barnes & Noble.

“How can that be?” I asked. “We’re only halfway through it here.”

“The Brits released it early,” the sales clerk said.

It was 30% off and another 10% because I’m a Barnes & Noble Member. Plus, there was the “Cancer Card,” which I’ve found allows a certain measure of indulgence.

I bought it.

And spent yesterday watching all nine episodes, one after the other. I felt crappy, I was tired, everything (except popsicles) tasted awful. So what? I spent the whole day at Downton Abbey, rooting for the family to survive its financials disasters, reveling in the downstairs intrigues, grieving for Lady Sybil, delighted by the repartee between the Dowager and Cousin Isabel, and wishing I had every single that dress Lady Mary wore.

No spoilers here. I won’t say a word. But be ready.

Want to borrow it? Just call.