The wonderful news that I get to share today is that I am on day three following my 8th and final chemo! The bad news is that this one has made me so sick, and I've been in bed for the past three days, getting up only to eat, bathe or go to the restroom. I have been sick each night, losing my cookies just before or during my dinner. So much fun! The good news about getting sick is that it gives me a tiny window of feeling almost normal, and that's where I am at this moment, trying to type quickly before I get too nauseated again.
The anti-nausea drugs aren't really working other than giving me a headache, making me extremely thirsty and making everything taste sweet. Phenergan does knock me out if I take a full dose, but I'm awake every hour for a big drink of water because of cotton-mouth. The joys of going through chemo!
I must say that I will forever be compassionate toward anyone who is diagnosed with cancer and then must endure chemo. It's horrible, and I don't care what drug they give you to battle cancer, it's still horrible. And us lay people know nothing more than to do what they tell us to do, to take the current protocols for breast cancer or whatever type of cancer a person might have.
I've read blogs of women, young to old, who are in the midst of treatment, and one minute I would find myself feeling fortunate that I didn't have a more aggressive cancer or that my cancer had not metastisized further. Then I would read of another whose treatment was shorter and they've been cancer free for a dozen years, and I would feel a bit of jealousy. I have friends still in treatment who truly have no end in sight, and I hate that. I just want there to be a cure for cancer so that my girls or Barry or anyone I love and care about won't have to go through the ravages of chemo.
Just to let you know what the time frame is for future treatment, I go back to the oncologist for bloodwork next Thursday, then I won't see him again until April 28 for a final visit. I will then visit with Dr. Peacock, the radiation oncologist who will get me lined up for radiation treatments for six weeks. My radiation treatments will be in the same facility as my chemo has been. Dr. Obaji said I could have my port out three weeks after last Thursday's treatment, and I will be calling my surgeon first thing Monday morning to get that lined up. I have not liked my port at all, but I am thankful I have had it for treatments. That's the most positive thing I can say about it. And I would not recommend throwing up while you have a port because every nerve ending in that area of your chest comes alive and is sore.
I'm just a little irritated today that I missed a beautiful Saturday. Why didn't it rain so I would have felt better about being in the bed? I did sit on the patio for about thirty minutes, but I kept getting up to pull weeds out of my flower bed, so I made myself come back in. The more I'm up, the more I see that I want to do.
I heading back to bed now, and I'm hoping that tomorrow morning will have me feeling good enough to cook. Barry is great at fast food, but I need home-cooked food. Ya'll keep on praying for me that I would feel better and better. I can't wait to feel better so I can go and do!
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