Chemo Treatment 4-Movin’ On UP

Day 2-I have not updated my chemo journey in a while because of my naivety.  I assumed at the start of all of this, once I documented daily during Treatment One that all subsequent treatments would follow the same path.    Little did I realize, although I was told specifically by my nurse, that each treatment would snowball, each becoming increasingly more difficult.

After treatment 2, where I had a severe reaction to Taxotere, a chemo drug, I thought that round was rough simply because of the reaction.  Once they put me on steroids, they woudn’t be quite so bad.  Wrong assumption again.  Treatment 3 was, by far the most difficult.  Maybe because I was alone, as I had to ship the girls out for the week with willing grands and chauffeurs, and Mel was on a business trip in Chicago.  I really had nothing to focus my mind on other than feeling terrible.  So, I’m going to play naive again this week and hope that because I’ll be keeping my babies at home and Mel is at least a phone call away, it will be smoother.  (I know I’m kidding myself, but it’s what I’m banking on for now.)

My treatment yesterday went smoothly. No reaction, (although today I look like a sunburned chipmunk thanks to the steroids.) Kacy stopped by SCOA and after my treatment, we all went out to eat for an early dinner.  Mel wanted to do a bit of shopping for the funeral home and I even lasted through that.  (Mel only gets out to “real stores” once in a while, so when we hit up Target, World Market and Bed Bath and Beyond, he was way too consumed.  He thought we needed anything and everything he saw.  I’ve got get him out more.)

Today, I’m tired.  I’m taking it easy.  My friend (and nurse), April stopped by to give me that blasted Nulasta shot, which makes my body get better, but makes me feel like the Wicked witch of the West with a house dumped right on top of me.  My saving grace is that by Friday, I’ll be back to normal (hoping) and I’ll have two weeks of great days!  Then, drumroll please……..only two more treatments to go!

Durell, my favorite check-in guy at SCOA, with his deep Barry White voice, scheduled my dates for December.

Treatment 5 on December 5 then my final treatment on December 28!  So, I have a date.  I’ll be ringing that bell before the new year begins!  Yay!

3 Comments

Carrie  on November 15th, 2011

Yay! You have a date to ring that bell! Give me a shout this week (or anytime) if you want talk or whatever. I’m home! It’s a rough week for me too, so instead of laying on the couch watching the fish swim in the tank, we could brain fog talk about more girl stuff Thinking of you always…hugs

Shannon Carter  on November 16th, 2011

Yay for a date to ring the bell!! And looking at your dates, hopefully you’ll be feeling good for Christmas. 🙂

Praying for you!

Mary Haddon  on November 17th, 2011

So glad you’re posting your reactions to chemo. It helps me to know what may happen. I’m so tired of being tired, and I’m only 2 treatments into this.

The end of December is not far away! What a great way to ring in 2012 – no more chemo!