After having a discussion with my oncologist, he wanted me to stay off the meds for a few days before starting them again. So, after being off the medication for those few days, I started back on it last Tuesday night.

The thought was that if any side effects were going to reappear after restarting the medication, they would probably show their ugly faces sometime Thursday or Friday morning. Well, it’s Friday afternoon, and so far, the only side effect I’m feeling is a little fatigue. I can handle that.

I haven’t really felt like doing much other than sitting around and reading, but I finally decided I needed to get up and start moving around.

I’ve started doing some more cleaning in the garage since I haven’t been able to do much out there with everything that’s been going on, including my daughter being in the hospital. I’ve also been trying to get a little yard work done.

Today, after breakfast, I got the hose out, hooked up the sprinkler, and started watering my front yard.

Apparently, Moses is out there somewhere with his arms stretched out, parting the rain and making sure it doesn’t fall on my yard. It’s raining everywhere else, but not here.

After securing the hose to the house and the other end to the sprinkler, I turned the water on. Then I had to sit down for a few minutes and rest up. With the heat we’re experiencing here—100 degrees plus—and the fatigue from the medication, it doesn’t take much to wear me out.

While the sprinkler was doing its thing, I stepped into the garage and started doing some much-needed cleaning. Although it’s a little bit of a “rob Peter to pay Paul” situation, I am making some progress.

I was able to make the path from my basement door to the house door much wider, so you’re a lot less likely to trip and fall. That may not sound like a major accomplishment, but when you’re trying to keep a garage organized, sometimes making a path you can actually walk through feels like a pretty big victory.

Of course, with this heat, even in the garage, it’s hard to do much without having to sit down and rest for a while.

After about three hours of watering the yard, I finally stopped the garage cleaning, turned off the water, and secured the hose.

Even with the heat and the fatigue, I managed to get a few things accomplished today. That feels pretty good.

I didn’t make it to the men’s Bible study last Saturday, so I’m looking forward to the fellowship tomorrow morning—assuming my side effects continue to cooperate.

Anytime you have a different medication introduced into your system, it’s always a good idea to pay attention to what your body is telling you and to be aware of the possible side effects. It’s also important to let your doctor know about anything unusual you’re experiencing.

One thing I learned from a lady who was part of the original clinical trial for one of the medications I was on at one time really stuck with me.

She explained that if, at any time during the study, someone came in with any kind of ailment—a headache, a stomachache, a rash, anything—it went into the report. If enough people came in reporting the same issue, regardless of whether it actually had anything to do with the medication or not, it could eventually become listed as a possible side effect.

That’s one reason it’s so important to pay attention, speak up, and keep your doctor informed.

For now, I’m taking things one day at a time, trying to stay active when I can, and being thankful that the dizziness hasn’t returned. Hopefully, things will continue moving in the right direction.