Since my next treatment is less than a week away I figured I should probably write about last time.
During the treatment I ate water ice and had a Slurpee to help keep the metal taste out of my mouth. The craziest part is as I type this I feel a twinge of nausea. Any food/drink I have during treatment is ruined. Not sure how long that will last, but hopefully I can find something to eat or drink next week to keep my mouth cool and get rid of the metal taste.
I asked for less steroids because I could not handle having heart palpitations and hot flashes all the time. Getting less worked to take away those side effects, but I ended up having a lot of nausea. I am not sure if those two things are correlated, but if so, I will have more steroids again this coming treatment and take other meds to deal with the heart palpitations.
As for the burning, aching skin...it lasted longer, but I was able to control some of the pain because I was told I could take Motrin this time. It lessened the pain, but did not take it away by any means. It was under control enough that I slept most of the night and did not cry so that was an improvement!
Overall, this treatment wiped me out longer. I had a harder time bouncing back and had less energy. I felt "blah" for several days. No motivation, no affect. Just existing and surviving one side effect after another.
I was able to escape a little this time because I discovered the show Scandal! One word...ADDICTING! I think I shed a few tears when I had watched all the past episodes and had to wait for a new one to air on ABC. I am also working on watching all past episodes of Downton Abbey. If I have to find the silver lining in my days of regeneration I would have to say the best part is my ability to indulge my love of TV and movies. I catch up on the DVR and watch sappy chick flicks and cheesy Lifetime movies!
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Each time I write an entry I have my husband Frank proof read it. He usually does not offer ideas (because he's not allowed) about what to write, but he brought up a good point tonight. I write about how the treatments are, because I want to educate people about chemo. It is such a scary thing and I want to bring it to light. However, I never let my readers know how I am actually doing beyond chemo.
For one thing, I am still working. Treatments are on Thursdays every 3 weeks right now so I miss the Thursday of treatment, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and sometimes Tuesday. I head back to work on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday that next week but only work half days as my energy slowly comes back. By the next week I am working full time again! I work Monday through Friday and the following week I can work Monday-Wednesday since my next treatment is Thursday.
I teach elementary school so lots of people wonder how I can do that with all the germs around. For one thing, I am anal about my students using hand sanitizer. They all have to use it on the way into my classroom, any time they pick their noses, suck their fingers, etc. I use hand sanitizer throughout the day too. I also wash my hands all the time. This time of year we are able to open the windows so we can air out the classroom. Since I have been teaching for over 7 years now I have been exposed to the common illnesses dozens of times. That has helped me develop a stronger immune system so my doctor was fine with me working. If there is an outbreak of flu or something highly contagious I will not be able to work, but with only 29 student-days left, I am hopeful I can work until the end of the year.
I have a lot less back pain so working longer days is becoming easier. So is passing out papers, pushing in chairs and other daily classroom routines. My friend's husband is a physical therapist and he came over the other night to assess my back. He was able to give me three stretches to do to help put my back where it belongs. Surprisingly, after a few days I honestly notice a difference. I am a little less curved and my abs are easier to flex.
My friend, who I have known since birth, has been so helpful throughout my treatments. Her husband, the physical therapist, is also a cancer survivor. They have been through this before and are willing to share information, time and support to help my family get through our tough time. My friend does my grocery shopping for me. I cannot thank her enough for taking care of that annoying weekly chore.
I have TONS of people to thank. The support from friends, family, co-workers, friends of friends is AMAZING. I am stronger because I do not have to spend time at the grocery store, making dinner, or scrubbing toilets. I can get my treatments, heal and recuperate and spend time with my family. THANK YOU for giving me the ability to do that.
