Chemo Cycle 2
So with cycle 2 done and my follow up done today I figure I'd update you.
Cycle 2 was seriously uneventful (day of chemo). Karen was going to come with to keep me company but one of the kids got sick so she took him to the Dr's instead. Truth be told, while I would have loved the company, she would have been bored to death.
I took myself. I knew I would be OK to drive after wards because after cycle 1 I could have driven myself but hubby insisted he drive.
I passed the time watching Maury and other daytime drama "reality" TV and browsing through Facebook. I've become quite the fan of a couple cancer support groups. Having someone who has been there or is there on the same page is nice. I like the advice. The ability to vent and it's all judgment free, from people who can relate is really nice. The steroid drip makes me drowsy but not enough to actually fall asleep. For whatever reason I'm not comfortable sleeping anywhere that's not home. It's just weird to me. There's too much going on from the nurses banter to others TV and conversations.
Blood work was done before starting the premeds and they came back normal. The white blood count (WBC) was high, probably because I was on antibiotics the week before. Hemoglobin was a tad low, but not an iron deficiency. They said I was anemic (not surprisingly) but not severe enough to do anything about it. Otherwise, everything else was good to go. They started premeds: steroid, Zofran, Sodium Chloride, Benadryl. Followed by the Adriamycin (Doxorubicin, aka Red Devil) then the Cytoxan followed by more Sodium Chloride.
They left the port accessed because I had to go back the next day for hydration, more Sodium Chloride.
This video I made for Tristan, my 4 year old and to help pass the time on day 2. I went back the next afternoon. It shows the port accessed and being flushed and de-accessed. Finishing this cycle marks the halfway point of this chemotherapy. I'm thrilled really, even though I don't look like it.
Side Effects: The following become even more present days following cycle 2.
-Elevated heart rate/pulse
-Shortness of breath
-Neuropathy
-Fatigue
-Anxiety
-Headaches
-Light-headed
-Bone pain in my hips
Some of these symptoms I had been attributing to pregnancy. I've been treating the symptoms with Tylenol, water, Gatorade, and rest. I told the high risk OB yesterday. He said that some may be in fact pregnancy related but he's going to discuss this with the oncologist to verify and see what can be done.
Today, I went back to the oncologist for a follow up after cycle 2. I woke up exhausted, physically beat. I slept like crap, I had heartburn from hell. This child better have a head full of hair! I took my son to school and rushed to my appointment, I had coffee and a donut stick for breakfast. They did my labs. My numbers are all low.
I was given prophylactic antibiotics, a referral to a cadiologist for evaluation, told to take Tylenol for pain and just manage the symptoms. Rest, avoid crowds, newly vaccinated people (including my baby niece), avoid all sick people, take my temperature regularly. Call the Dr if my temperature is 100.5 or higher, avoid fresh fruits & vegetables unless they have a peel. Apparently I'm at a much higher risk for infections. So there go my plans for sushi and a pedicure tomorrow. Damn it. So I told Brandon all this & he's putting me in a bubble. He would literally would put me in a bubble if he had one.
Cycle 2 was seriously uneventful (day of chemo). Karen was going to come with to keep me company but one of the kids got sick so she took him to the Dr's instead. Truth be told, while I would have loved the company, she would have been bored to death.
I took myself. I knew I would be OK to drive after wards because after cycle 1 I could have driven myself but hubby insisted he drive.
I passed the time watching Maury and other daytime drama "reality" TV and browsing through Facebook. I've become quite the fan of a couple cancer support groups. Having someone who has been there or is there on the same page is nice. I like the advice. The ability to vent and it's all judgment free, from people who can relate is really nice. The steroid drip makes me drowsy but not enough to actually fall asleep. For whatever reason I'm not comfortable sleeping anywhere that's not home. It's just weird to me. There's too much going on from the nurses banter to others TV and conversations.
Blood work was done before starting the premeds and they came back normal. The white blood count (WBC) was high, probably because I was on antibiotics the week before. Hemoglobin was a tad low, but not an iron deficiency. They said I was anemic (not surprisingly) but not severe enough to do anything about it. Otherwise, everything else was good to go. They started premeds: steroid, Zofran, Sodium Chloride, Benadryl. Followed by the Adriamycin (Doxorubicin, aka Red Devil) then the Cytoxan followed by more Sodium Chloride.
They left the port accessed because I had to go back the next day for hydration, more Sodium Chloride.
This video I made for Tristan, my 4 year old and to help pass the time on day 2. I went back the next afternoon. It shows the port accessed and being flushed and de-accessed. Finishing this cycle marks the halfway point of this chemotherapy. I'm thrilled really, even though I don't look like it.
Side Effects: The following become even more present days following cycle 2.
-Elevated heart rate/pulse
-Shortness of breath
-Neuropathy
-Fatigue
-Anxiety
-Headaches
-Light-headed
-Bone pain in my hips
Some of these symptoms I had been attributing to pregnancy. I've been treating the symptoms with Tylenol, water, Gatorade, and rest. I told the high risk OB yesterday. He said that some may be in fact pregnancy related but he's going to discuss this with the oncologist to verify and see what can be done.
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| Logan is 26 weeks, 5 days. Measures at 45th percentile. Healthy, weighing about 2 lbs, 1oz. |
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| Chemo is working but also kicking my ass |
After my appointment I took him to the VA because he hurt his back. As soon as I walked in I put on a face mask. I got him checked in and through triage before I had to leave. I left him there alone. His mom had to pick him up. I had to go get Tristan from school and get my butt to bed because I'm beat.
I wish cancer and chemo knew and understood that I really don't have time for these damn shenanigans. I got the kids home & bathed and put them to bed. All I've done is resist the urge to just cry, failing miserably. I cry out of frustration. Because there's really nothing I can do to change the situation just suck it up and deal with it.
It freaking blows! I'm not in control of my body, my life, the circumstances. I really just want to crawl under a rock and you can come get me when it's all over with. Like I'm hiding from a tornado.
😢
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