Saturday, December 18, 2010

Chemo 2 and other things

So we discovered only after I was receiving my second round of chemo that what happened last time isn't normal, and isn't ok to go through. Hmmm.... It was either a bad reaction to a certain medication, or how two were working together. But, hey, I'm very glad to now know that chemo isn't like trying to keep yourself from slipping into a coma and being paralyzed for days on end. I was a little nervous about having to repeat that another 7 times!

We switched one of my drugs (the hardcore one that I had taken twice a day for the first three days) and I tried not to take anything else if I didn't absolutely need it. Don't get me wrong, I still had intense nausea and was pretty miserable, but I definitely didn't feel like I needed to be hospitalized like last time. I'm pretty weak today, not able to walk much further than across a room, and we are on day 5. Every day is definitely better than the last, it's just a little bit of a slow climb.

My hair is mostly gone. It started falling out in big amounts on the 8th, which was when I went and shaved it. After a couple days it all decided to jump out of the follicles and it was pretty intense. I went to have a bath and it just didn't stop coming out. I think that was last Thursday. It was easier having a buzz cut. My head gets cold even when a draft from opening a cupboard hits it. I haven't started wearing the wig my dad bought me because I've been a little too sick, but once I get into the swing of that, I'll be sure to share some funny wig pics. Bald isn't so bad. Unfortunately it's a little tricky to finally look sick. At least when I had a buzzcut people thought I was some girl with something to prove and that was nice. I'd rather have somebody roll their eyes at me than tilt their heads with pity. Gross.

Here's my darling Ian doing his favourite thing at chemo



This is what happened when I touched my head in the bath the other night




* * UPDATE * *
WAIT!

I forgot to mention that I met with my Oncologist again before Chemo even happened and when she measured my tumor and it went from 7cm by 5cm to 5x5! I guess that's a detail you people want to hear? God. Sorry about that one. Anyway, looks like it's responding well to the treatment.

2 comments:

  1. It's shrinking?! It's shrinking!!! Best news I've heard in a while. You are rocking this. Ian (mine) and I are really proud of you. xoxoxo
    Jennilee

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