Cold turkey

Well hell, I wish the doctor had told me to wean myself off the painkillers. After my last post, they ran out and I thought, okay, I'm done, because I didn't want to become dependent on them. I was on oxycodone. Bad shit. Real bad shit. I didn't leave the house for two days, and Tuesday - it was in the 80s outside - I laid on the couch rolled up in a ball in a blanket crying, freezing and sweating. God it was awful.
Wednesday I had to go to Swedish to talk to the social worker about continued assistance, so I had to go out amongst them, which was a good thing. I took care of some other business and went to Costco, too, and I felt much more human.
Sandy, the social worker, told me something I didn't know. For every hour you're under anesthesia, it takes a week to recover and get it out of your system. I was under for five hours. Tomorrow is four weeks out, so I figure another week and I may feel like myself again, and hopefully in another two or three I can get into some restorative yoga.
I am able to walk Abbey longer now. We went to Lincoln Park for the first time in a month, and it was a gorgeous, hot sunny day. We just walked along the water though, as I still don't have it in me to trek through the woods. But it was wonderful.
I had another massage with Naomi, which really helps my back. What a goddess with her hands. My belly incision doesn't hurt so much anymore either, so I'm trying to stand in the Pilates stance when I'm standing, and tuck my tailbone under. My new breast does hurt still. It's still very swollen and bruised. I'm going to call the doc tomorrow just to make sure that's normal.
I'm also sleeping better. I was having God-awful night sweats and now that I'm off the oxy - surprise! The night sweats are gone. Imagine waking up every morning soaked and freezing. I can't even imagine how people get hooked on pain killers. It's awful.
But now I've been burdened with GI problems all week from going off the oxycodone. Nothing looks good to me. So I'm forcing myself to eat a BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) and it's working. As much as I know I need fruits and veggies again, which I love, it's hard right now. I did eat some cucumber and tomato, and today some cantaloupe, banana and blueberries. Consequently, I've lost weight! Yay!
But yesterday was a great day. I met up with my old pal from the Coeur d'Alene Press days, Tyler Wilson, and his wife Angie, and their little girl Marion, along with some other people I didn't know, and had a lovely visit in Sodo, before they went to a Mariner's game. Tyler is a great guy. Then, I went to a dive bar called Linda's Tavern of all things, for Linda's Fest, to catch a new band, "Walking Papers," and I was blown away! I even met the drummer and on bass, the one and only Duff McKagan, formerly of Guns n' Roses! I was so stoked! They were totally killer. The lead singer/guitarist, Jeff Angell, is awesome. The drummer, Barrett Martin, and Angell are the main guys - who knows if Duff will stay with them, but I was right in front! I love being able to see all the details, setting up, plugging stuff in, the set list. It electrifies me.
Today I went to an uke jam and had fun as usual. I've been working on "Norwegian Wood," by the Beatles for weeks, and finally got the lick down. It's a hard one. We didn't do it at the jam, but I'm enjoying it as part of my repertoire. I watched Duff and Jeff very closely last night - their hands on the frets and their strumming, plucking patterns. Geez - I'll never be a rock star, but I sure do admire the talent. I know it's only rock and roll, but dammit I love it!
Taylor is coming over for a couple of days, then I'm taking off again in a week for a couple of nights on Whidbey Island. I haven't been there in ages. I found a quaint pet-friendly Inn in Coupeville, so I'm taking Miss Abbey on a little adventure. I'm going to scout around. I figure if I don't find a job here by the time all my cancer care is over, I might be outa here. I don't know. I love Seattle, but Whidbey is close enough so if I wanted to go to a show or something, I could still do it. God knows I love the San Juan's, but that's quite a commute. I need to find a place where I can live cheaper, and I want to stay near the water.