No Fair, I Felt So Good
Day 3 of Round 2 is showing the more clear-headed me all sorts of things about the side-effects of getting chemo. Last time, I wasn’t quite as with it (aka much more sick), but each thing I told Elana today about what I was experiencing solicited a nod of recognition. Fascinating, really, how much I didn’t really retain.
In no particular order, today has presented me with all sorts of things which are perfectly normal to accompany my treatment:
- A couple of places on each of my shins have areas which hurt like a bruise, without the visible spots…they send a line of pain up the shin when I walk.
- Amplified fatigue in comparison with yesterday. I did far less than normal today, and usually just lay down with my eyes closed. I took a 1-hour nap in the middle of the day, and also slept for a bit while E was here.
- Bodily function decides to get its chance to fool around, with the age-old cure of prune juice not really helping resolve it—nor has a bit of medicine, either. I wonder why I’m hesitant to actually use the Other-‘C’-Word? “TMI” I think is the explanation. At any rate, it’s a current side-effect.
- Seemingly early compared to last time (I think), bits of the remaining hair on my head and/or in my beard are starting to flee seeking their missing family members. I haven’t got the heart to tell them the absent ones were cleaned up in the shower ages ago now.
- While my mouth is ok so far (fingers crossed), my lips are becoming chapped. Even with the Burt’s Bees Honey Lip Balm. Go figure.
- Breakfast went ok, but I had little appetite for lunch, eating only half of what was actually on the plate and didn’t even touch the soup. An interesting contrast to the last week and a bit.
- But then, just to make things a little more black-and-white, dinner didn’t go well. Add nausea to my new list of side-effects. I don’t know yet how much of a recurring problem this one’s going to be.
It’ll take a good week, as I understand it, for me to be able to start heading back toward the much healthier version of me. The napping will make the time go by, I imagine. As such, there may be a gap or two between blog posts, depending on (a) how I’m feeling physically, and, more-so, (b) how coherent I am to be able to write about what’s going on. During the chemo and up to a week after it, at least—Elana knows better than I do—it also seems to slow my brain down a bit. I’m betting the fatigue is behind that one.
But I’ll still find little parts of the day when I feel well enough to keep working on my knitting. Might as well go with something that’s naturally relaxing, right?
P.S. The two people across from me are competing on how loud they can get their TVs. I want to find a way to introduce them to the headphone jack on the wall next to each of their beds. I’m open to suggestions. 🙂
