#staySTRONG by Libario Obeid

Author:Libario Obeid
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DC Press
Published: 2017-04-07T04:00:00+00:00

The First Night Back

UPON ARRIVING BACK HOME, I was designated a particular cabinet, with my name on it, to hold all of the medication I had to take. That cabinet contained much of what was sustaining my life.

Blood thinners were an important part of my life. I took them for the clot I had developed in my left chest, up in my shoulder area, due to the size and placement of the tumor. The tumor was so large that it placed excessive pressure on my heart and the veins around it, therefore resulting in numerous clots. There was nausea medication to deal with the aftermath of the chemotherapy, an anti-depressant medication to mellow me out and allow me to sleep, as well as a 6-month treatment of tuberculosis, since test results came back positive during my original NCAA screening. The doctors didn’t want to miss the mark, and since the tumor had reach stage IV, all precautions and avenues were being covered.

That first night sleeping at home was rough. I kept having these extremely vivid dreams that would startle and wake me in the middle of the night. I even started sleepwalking during some of those dreams, often causing a ruckus in the house.

The first night, I got up around 3 A.M. and grabbed a box of Special K cereal. I was going to deliver it to my mother’s friend with the distinct voice, Mimo, who was staying over at the house, to help with my little sister. Since Mimo was overweight, my confused brain thought that by waking her and giving her the Special K, I would be helping her with her diet. Sure, it’s a funny story, and no doubt very memorable, however the dreams were not always this comical.

In most of my dreams I would end up dying for some reason. They took a toll on my body, because I would barely reach REM sleep before being awakened by the effect the dreams were having on me. My mother made me sleep in her California king-sized bed, by her, for the rest of my treatment. This way, she thought that she could keep an eye on me. Dad slept in my room, but would always wake up when one of my episodes would act up. That meant none of us really got any good sleep on those days.

One morning I awoke to the sound of my father’s voice. He had to leave for work, but before doing so, had to administer an injection in my leg. Twice daily I would have to administer a shot into my thigh, however, since this was the first one, he had to show me how it was supposed to be done. The three-inch needle penetrated the flesh of my leg and he released the medication. I stared at my leg and I told him that I felt OK. He then left the bedroom. However, within seconds of the door closing, I felt extremely nauseous. The needle hurt significantly, since my legs were so thin, from the loss of fat and muscle.

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