Chemo Christmas

I've been home from chemo just three hours and already I'm trolling Groupon and Living Social for things we and my family and my friends "need." You see I'm usually pretty frugal but I have this little shopping habit post chemo. Fill me with chemo and Benadryl and steroids and the former shopaholic comes back with a vengeance. Last winter there was a clear theme. I must have been cold because the theme was blankets. I bought one throw blanket. It was soft and warm and I loved it but wasn't thrilled about the color. So I bought another one, in a different color. Next I bought sheets, maybe a few sets, I'm not sure really. The Spring/Summer I bought things for the wedding.  Most of the items purchased for our wedding had beginnings on Groupon or Living Social. I end up in a shopping haze.

A few days post chemo the boxes start to arrive. I can't remember what I've ordered. It's like chemo Christmas. The boxes dance into the house and pile up screaming "open me! Isn't this exciting? You should totally order more." I use the debit card reserved for “play money” so the damage can only be so deep, thankfully.  So then, I order more.  I try to make my chemo day Thursday so that my absence from work is minimized; this also means that the day after chemo may very well be pay day.  This helps fund chemo Christmas.

Husband doesn't seem to mind.  He always wonders what the heck I've ordered now.  "It's a box of....bandaids?  You've ordered 300 bandaids, 3 jars of moisturizer and toothpaste? Whatever makes you happy."

I told the social worker at the hospital about this, she assured me this is not a common side effect of chemo.  Shouldn’t they add this to the list under “side effects seen in less than 0.1% of patients?”

 

I started a new chemo today so this winter’s chemo Christmas is about to begin.  I wonder what this year’s theme will be?