After Effects First Chemo Treatment

Tuesday, January 7th...first chemo day treatment..It went very well. No adverse reactions while there. This will be my home away from home for next three chemo sessions,  once every three weeks, all day long. 

Things recommended to bring for treatment, sorry if I am repeating myself--chemo brain is a real thing! 1. Snacks, 2. things to read and do, 3. downloaded books or movies, your phone, and chargers. I did not bring a blanket. The room was comfortable and the temperature was fine, but if you get cold, the hospital provides lightweight blankets. The process is an all day event!

I had weird pains shooting around different places on my way home in the car...sharp stomach pains, then shoulder pain across my back. It only lasted a few seconds, then was gone...I wasn't very tired at all...taking steroids twice a day, 2 pills each dose...Dexamethasone for three days. It's affecting my sleep a little bit...woke up the next morning at 4:30 and couldn't go back to sleep...It's also making my sugar climb to 185 in the mornings. The oncologist would like to see those numbers come down and suggested I go on diabetes meds to control it. I'm currently not on meds for prediabetes, and my numbers have been in control for that through exercise and semi-watching what I eat. So I will contact my primary physician and see what she thinks...

Day 2 after chemo...had a pretty good sleep, was worried about this bulky little Neulasta On Pro monitor on my arm coming off while moving around in my sleep, but the nurse put extra tape on it so it won't come off till tonight when I take it off myself after the meds have been automatically injected. It blinks green to show that it's operational. If it turns red or stops blinking, I have to go back to the hospital and get it replaced because a red light or a constant light is not good and something has gone wrong with the applicator. Every once in awhile, last night, with my short sleeve pjs on, the green blinking light would wake me up, so I just covered myself up more in the blankets so I wouldn't see it and went back to sleep! I feel good mentally, and the tiredness hasn't hit yet, nor the diarrhea, but my stomach is full of water (haha) and I'm feeling gassy. Uh-oh....

Wednesday night the injector started blinking exactly 27 hours of being placed on my arm. The light starts blinking a fast green when the meds start being injected. About 40 minutes later, the med vial was empty and I removed it from my arm. Neulasta can cause significant bone pain within a day or two of receiving it (it's supposed to stimulate bone marrow production to counteract the chemo) and so they have you take Claritin to inhibit histamine production and Tylenol for the pain. The pain supposedly does not last but for more than a day or two, so we shall see.

Day 3 after chemo--The steroids have been holding off any signs of stomach discomfort--no nausea, no vomiting, so that's really great.  I was given two prescriptions for heavy duty nausea and possible vomiting--Zofran and Compazine. I have not had to use them yet but they are there if I need them. You do not take them together, you take one or the other 6 hours apart, but they are very strong meds so I am cautious about giving myself yet more powerful drugs if I'm not feeling that badly.  Actually, I felt so good I decided to go to our local Oxbow County Park and walked 3.5 miles. The steroids have knocked out my plantar fascitis and arthritis in my feet so it was so comfortable to walk for a change! The doctors are pushing exercise big time.  It was a beautiful sunny day and it felt great to be outside. The trails there are mostly level, but you can get a little bit of climb up and down here and there.... Thursday night I had trouble sleeping...woke up every hour on the hour....I'm done with steroids so that wasn't it.... Hope that improves...

Day 4, after chemo....Friday....I am having some intermittent sharp pains all over my body. Not sure if that is the Neulasta shot causing that, but will take some Tylenol and hope that improves. It feels like someone is sticking an ice pick into my breast and different parts of my body, even my brain. The pain moves around, so it's good that it isn't constant. I have to fight to make myself not think that the cancer is in these other places when I get pains like that. I will give myself time to get through the weekend and see if it continues. It woke me up last night a few times, but then went away and I was able to sleep. I went to the "Y" today and rowed for about 40 minutes, then rode the exercise bike. I really do enjoy going to the "Y" which was a gift to me from my brother, a short term membership to try and keep me mentally and physically at my best. Thank you, Rich, for your wonderful generosity....

Have I had additional side effects? Yes, my mouth feels weird. My teeth hurt. My mucous membranes in my nose are easily bleeding. Anything with carbonation burns going down my throat. Everything tastes like paper. I bought two types of mouthwash that were recommended by cancer patients and the doctor in case of mouth sores or dryness....The Biotene is very soothing.

Day 5 after chemo....It's Saturday, and today I got hit hard with the worst fatigue I have ever experienced. I had read that three to five days after the treatment fatigue sets in pretty hard, and I'm thinking that's about right on target. It was literally an effort to walk around the apartment and walk down the street to get the mail. It was very debilitating and depressing to feel this way today. Even when you know it's coming, it still takes you down a notch or two. I always have prided myself on being strong, capable and pushing myself through anything, but today--cancer won the battle--but hopefully, just for today. I hope tomorrow is better. I just took it easy, let it go, and rested and chilled for the day.

We had 3.5" of snow last night, the roads are icy, so today is a stay at home day and rest. I am in the bathroom a LOT. Dehydration is of great concern, so I am trying to drink 96 ounces of water a day to stay on top of things. Immodium AD is my new best friend, haha, except it stops me up, then milk of magnesia, here we come for the other! I feel like I'm on a roller coaster and the stomach agrees with me! 

Day 6 after chemo.....Sunday....I went to bed at 7:00 last night! Woke up quite a few times, but went right back to sleep. I had terrible stomach pains....not sure if that is from just a very messed up digestive system. I called the weekend off hours office line to ask about how you know when you are getting dehydrated, or what necessitates a visit to the hospital, and they just weren't very helpful, insisting I should go to the hospital over the weekend, that you don't mess around with chemo effects. I get that. Again, I don't feel that I was desperate enough to go, I'm managing ok in the bathroom, so I didn't wake up Eldy to get him to take me. If the stomach pains continue through today and are very bad, I will think about going. But they do move around and it's not constant, so I think I can deal with them.

Day 7....one week after chemo. Stomach pains are better...yay! I have today to decide whether I'm going to take a half day subbing job on Tuesday. I'm feeling better than yesterday. If I don't feel better by the end of today, I will cancel Tuesday's half job, much as I hate to. I thought it would be really good for me to see kids and try my stamina at a half day job, but this might not yet be the time to try. Perhaps next week if things improve. We shall see.....I really miss working with kids and think it would be good to get my mind off these aches and pains. I am developing mouth sores, darn it...will have to try and stick to a more bland diet. Really struggling with eating anything other than little bits of bland this and that. I know I am not getting enough calories. Time to get out the protein shakes!

How am I feeling overall? Besides blah?  Loved and cared for... Eldy's sister, in addition to my sister, sent a lightweight wrap to stay warm in, thank you, Theresa! These wraps no matter what the style are, are warm and cozy and really make you feel comforted.... I'm feeling very blessed to have the loving support of friends and family. My daughter sent us two matching tee shirts for the Notre Dame game. The team pulled it out and won in the last couple of minutes of the game! What a championship team!

On a more serious note, I have been reading many stories of others who are going through similar cancer journeys, many in different stages of diagnoses and situations. Some of them are absolutely heartbreaking because they have no family support, or their spouse/significant other has pulled away, or they are dealing with far more severe crises in their personal lives or they have no one.  When I am feeling at my worst, I know that many others are suffering a great deal more and I will always be grateful for the support I have been shown from friends and family. Thank you for reading and following along.....

                                    Love, Jeannie