Okay! Okay! Okay!!
I’ve been a bad blogger. Bad Blogger!! Naughty!! No! No! No!
And, obviously, I’ve been spending way too much time alone with the dog. You would think that being 2 1/2 years old now would have given him enough maturity that he wouldn’t still be spending large chunks of his day attempting to disembowel sofa pillows or barking at pretty much anything that enters our “territory” (that being anything he can see or hear and a few things I’m not sure what the hell he’s on about.)
Several of you have asked how I’m doing with the chemo side effects, so I’ll report on that. This week I’m feeling pretty darned good! Yippee! Last week, not so much.
I don’t know if it was arrogance or naiveté that had me thinking I wouldn’t have many side effects and that if I did have side effects, I’d not be much bothered by them. I have healed relatively easily from my two most recent surgeries and I’m otherwise pretty healthy (other than having cancer, ha ha), so I kinda figured — hey, this will be not so bad. I guess it’s all relative, but last week was more unpleasant than I’d anticipated. For those of you who are into medical voyeurism or who, like, maybe just kinda care about me (and I love you for that), I’ll lay out the week for you:
Monday — 4 hours of IV chemo and hookup for 48 hours of other kind of chemo at home. This was not too bad. I started noticing the neurological effects right away when I got home, though. Shooting “electrical” feelings in my fingers when touching anything cold.
Tuesday — Actually felt REALLY good on this day. Probably the first effects of the steroids they gave me on Monday.
Wednesday — Starting feeling at least somewhat nauseous pretty much all the time despite the anti-nausea drugs. Need better drugs. Also started feeling really moody — like wanting to cry or murder someone. Steroids again. Shooting electrical sensations continue.
Thursday — Nauseous. Still a little moody. Understand, I’m a pretty even-tempered person by nature.
Friday — At least the moodiness is gone. Realizing I’ve gotten…ahem…constipated rather badly. Lots of abdominal cramping. This is a known side effect of the drugs. Took senna plus stuff and went to bed. Cramps continue throughout the night. Still feeling nauseous too, by the way.
Saturday — Laxative is working, hurray! But now I’ve got body aches and “feel like I’m getting the flu” symptoms. These, too, are known side effects. Spent most of the day laying on the sofa.
Sunday — A little better than Saturday, but still quite weak. I’m literally panting just from climbing the stairs. I have to sit down to fold the laundry because it’s too exhausting to stand that long.
Monday — Started out feeling pretty good and then…surprise!…the OTHER known digestive side effect of my chemo kicks in. Diarrhea. Happily, a dose of Immodium fixed that right good. Nausea has pretty much stopped, though, so… yay!!
Yesterday — No nausea, no digestive issues, back to feeling almost normal. Well, alrighty then.
Today is even better. I feel pretty much entirely normal. So, if this past week is any indication (and I fear it is), this chemo thing is going to be a “one week feel like crap — one week feel pretty good” sort of program.
Well, shit. An embarrassingly big part of me right now wants to whine, “Why does this have to be happening to ME?? I don’t deserve this.” Of course, the answer to “why me?” is: Why NOT me? Disease doesn’t discriminate. It’s an equal opportunity life-fucker. You don’t have to live long on this lovely old planet of ours to know that. Still, I wouldn’t trade a single moment of the time I’ve been given — no matter how long that turns out to be.
So, anyway… no more chemo again until next Wednesday (I get a couple of days reprieve because of Labor Day.) So, I figure that I’ve probably got a full week of feeling good coming up. Can’t complain about that!
I’m happy Labor Day is providing a reprieve Rebecca… here’s some eye candy for your enjoyment…
http://www.matthewmcconaughey.com/news – J.K. Livin’!
I’m sorry you’ve had to endure those side effects. When you said you didn’t think you would experience too many, I was skeptical but hopeful. Please know that I think of you every day. Several times I’ve thought about asking if I could stop in to check on you, but didn’t because I thought if you needed anything you would ask (because that’s what I would do). You are in my prayers. If you’re feeling well this weekend, come to the symphony concerts that were rescheduled from last weekend.
I’ll call myself Barb L. because I see there is another Barb who posts here, although I’m sure my calling you Becky will give me away
Seriously, I’m both disheartened at what you’re going though, yet inspired at your ability to talk about it so eloquently…I really hope you have a relaxing, symptom-free Labor Day weekend!
So glad you have your sense of humor-life would be a really drab without your wonderful wit! How are you this week? Suppose this might be a not so good one after the holiday. I have known other folks who have spoken of the good weeks and bad. Remember before they had the good drugs to make you feel some better that people just felt lousy, nauseous and tired all the time with chemo. Brother Mark was able to work most of the time and said that, in his case, the chemo was less sickening than radiation. Maybe not the best time to mention it but I remember him saying that the drugs that built you up after the chemo came from rat urine.:-)
Are you still planning on coming to Minnesota this month or is your schedule not going to work with it?
Would love to see you!
lvu anne
I had chemo again yesterday — and actually today and part of tomorrow, too, with the portable pump for the 5FU drug. I’m feeling pretty much okay today. Not as zoomy today as I was on Day 2 of the cycle last time, so… that’s actually good. Also not feeling as moody as last cycle.
As it turns out, I’m not going to be able to go to Minnesota as planned because I have chemo scheduled for one of the days I’d be gone. I’ve been meaning to email you, Butch, and Sheila about that. I guess I’d better get on it! Heh… I don’t know if I’ll be getting the rat urine drug. They give different drugs for different people for different cancers.
[...] and yesterday are days 5 and 6 of chemo cycle 2, and if you look back to what was happening on those days last time, the same sort of excitement is going on — only I think more on the diarrhea side of things. [...]