Words Like Locusts Flew From Her Fingers

Too Much Information by a Factor of at Least 10

So, today 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. I took some Immodium this afternoon, and that seems to have done the trick. I suspect that, were I not so chronically constipated, I’d have “noticed” the diarrhea a day or two earlier. I guess, in a weird sort of way, maybe the diarrhea is working for me. Ever the optimist, that’s me.

I seem to be running through the side effects somewhat faster this time around. This is good.

I got hit harder with the neurological stuff this time, for sure. Even the relatively mild coolness of my flute keys is enough to send shooting electrical pains up my fingers. I’ve also got this weird neuro thing having to do with the salivary glands in the back corners of my mouth. The first bite or two of any food creates very unpleasant cramping shooting electrical pains in those corners. It’s only after I’ve had several bites and the saliva is flowing that the pain stops. I get a similar thing with my tear ducts. Happily, all of these electrical/neurological side effects are starting to fade (until next time.) So… yay.

I did have an interesting experience with eating an ice cream cone last night, though. The cold of the ice cream created a sensation in my mouth like it was somehow highly carbonated. Kind of that sharp “ping ping ping” sensation you get in your mouth when you drink something with too much carbonation. It was very weird. Not painful, though. (A couple days earlier, it would have been impossibly painful.) Weird shit, I’m telling you.