Friday, June 14 - My friend Connie picked me up around 9 on Tuesday, June 11 and we headed in for the dreaded start of my next rounds of Chemotherapy! It was a quiet day in the room, not much going on. After getting my port accessed and blood drawn to check my white blood count, I was pre-medicated with Benadryl to offset any allergic reaction to the drug Taxol. Laura, my nurse, then gave me an anti-nausea medicine, Pepcid, which has some inflammation component to it which helps with inflammation of the veins as the drug is administered. Also a dose of steriod. Then the Taxol. Since I am getting the weekly doses, it is a shorter time frame to administer.
As usual, Connie and I had good conversation and laughs. We had a sandwich while waiting to finish. I was feeling pretty good, so we went across the street to a resale shop that the nurse told us about called Safers. It was a really nice, organized and clean one. And I think we each bought something. They donate to the Vietnam Veterans. When we got back to my house we even took a one mile walk. It felt good to walk again, but I was tired out after all this.
So Wednesday and Thursday I have been experiencing achy muscles and joints and fatigue. At first I thought I was getting the flu, but Dane reminded me that the doctor mentioned this could be one of the side effects usually lasting a few days after treatment. It seems to be better today, I went for another one mile walk (Willow loves me again). I need to try and keep that up at least a few times a week.
So far the Hand & Foot Syndrome has not been too bad. After I walk or am on my feet for long periods, they are very, very red. I have had peeling since the last chemo drug and it hasn't completely cleared up yet. So, we shall just take this one day at a time and hope it doesn't interfere with my walking.
The appetite is waning again. Nothing really sounds appetizing, but I have no nausea (yay) and eat to keep my body strong to recover.
I have Physical Therapy this afternoon in Union and hope to learn about the Lymphedema. They should be working on my range of motion also. This has improved over the past week with the couple of excercises that they gave me. It still feels tight and weird on the left side and uncomfortable to lay on the left side. So I am hoping to see improvement in this area the next few weeks. I can put on a t-shirt now though.
Thanks for reading and sending the good thoughts and prayers. I ask you to please continue as I have a few more months of going through this. One foot in front of the other, one day at a time. I feel like I am starting to go down the hill a bit now.
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