Chemo Round 1

Hello! According to my chemo regimen, today is day 6 for me, and I am feeling more and more like my normal self almost after going through one round of chemo. How has it been? Let me share the experience with you using some visual aids.

Day 1 - First off, it's just a surreal experience. On the day I was getting chemo, two friends from the Language Arts department at school were also there. Linda (on left) was there for chemo, and Pam (middle) came later for radiation. Here we are taking a photo in my chemo infusion room. Linda's husband, Scott, thinks if we wrote a book, the perfect title would be The English Patients. As terrible as it is for us to be going through this journey, I thank my lucky stars every day that I have these two brave and wonderful women to help support me in the process. I know I would be more scared if I didn't have them to rely on for advice and help.

Secondly, getting the chemo itself wasn't a terrible process. It didn't hurt. I didn't have any reactions. The nurses were soooooo nice, and my mom was there to do all the worrying for me. :) It was a long day (from 11-4:30) though because the doctor sees you to go over the procedures and note how your doing, etc... The infusions took 3.5 hours, and then they let me go. I felt a bit tipsy and slightly nauseous walking around after the infusion, but the medications worked to combat that, and I fell asleep with no problem that night.

Day 2 - This was supposed to be a "good day," meaning that I would feel pretty normal before the chemo really hit hard on day 3. Not so. All I wanted to do was sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. If Prince Charming had come along to save me, I would have slept right through his interventions. Get up for true love's kiss? No thanks, I just want to sleep.  I really don't remember much about this day other than just being so tired. I had to go in for my Neulasta shot, which stimulates the production of white blood cells in your bones to help keep your immune system up. Even while the nurse was preparing me for the shot, I just wanted her to be quiet so I could fall asleep in the comfy chair.

Day 3 and 4 - Started feeling a little more energetic, but still needed frequent naps throughout the day or time just to lie down. To my surprise, food tasted fine, and I was hungry. On day 4, I started feeling the effects of the Neulasta shot because I suddenly had bone pain across the tops of my shoulders. What?! Felt so weird. Pretty soon, the feeling traveled, and the bone pain could be felt in lots of bones from the waist up. Why not the legs?  No idea. I did a walking workout to see if activity would help alleviate some of the pain, and it did. Imagine me prancing around just like the lady below. Sassy!

Day 5 and 6 - Feeling much more back to normal. Some waves of nausea but mostly just uncomfortable because of the bone pain. My head still feels a bit loopy as if I'm on cold medicine, but it's doable. Pam told me early on that it was "all manageable," and now I see what she means. I kind of just feel like I'm getting over being sick -- a little achy and a little tired and a little groggy. Hopefully, the next few days will keep getting better. Next stop: the wig shop. I go in for a fitting this Thursday even though I shouldn't lose my hair for another week. Wish me luck!

Love and light,
Jennifer