2/26/12 - Feeling Like a Bouncing Ball

Was astonished to log on and see that my last post was a week ago.  I felt very good for the first few days after chemo, however, much of the rest of the week was spent just trying to get through each moment of the day... some days I felt good in my head, but my body was dragging... other days, I was running up the stairs but then couldn't remember why I had gone there... and for a few days (and nights) I was battling pain, dizziness, fever and some slight nausea.

On Monday, I received the Neulasta injection, for the purpose of keeping the white blood cell count up.  This med does have side-effects, however... one of which is bone pain.  This is something difficult to describe.  It's deep inside, accompanied by a trembling feeling.  It started in the top of my feet one night, and by the next day was throughout my legs and into my hips.  It's an excruciating pain, which frequently brought tears to my eyes.  I took pain medication at night, which helped, but only took 1/2 dose at work, because it makes me so sleepy.  Walking around the studio, kicking my legs out, helped somewhat... those were a tough few days.  Luckily, it only lasted a couple days!  I will definitely have the injection again after the next chemo, because an extremely low white blood cell count is, uh... life-threatening!  I'll deal with the pain.

On Thursday (which would have been the beginning of the 7-10 "danger zone") I developed a fever in the evening.  It went up to 100.2 (100.5 is when a chemo patient must go to the ER).  I took my temperature every half hour as per doctor's orders.  I was lucky... woke up the next morning and temp was 97.7.  Ric was in Pittsburgh, so before I went to bed, I packed a bag and wrote down all the meds I had taken during the day, just in case I needed to call 911.  I had my friend Cathy's phone number ready to call to come get Bodhi if necessary.  

Most of us think the only major side-effect with chemotherapy is nausea... but oh my... there are so many things to deal with.  Some come and go, some occur simultaneously.  This is not a list of complaints, but these are the things I've dealt with this week.  So, if you are experiencing symptoms like these... just know it's common.  DRY MOUTH - gums and tongue feel rough, throat is a little sore, taste buds are affected.  Rinsing with regular mouthwash helped me, but the doctor can prescribe something for more serious problems.  FATIGUE - I normally run up stairs, often take two steps at a time... but now, despite walking everyday, I experience muscle fatigue and my stamina is definitely diminished.  DIZZINESS - when my ears start to ring, or I feel like there's a covering over my ears, that's my cue to sit down immediately, and breathe deeply until the feeling passes.  SKIN IRRITATIONS - my skin feels like it's sunburned, and the places change from day to day... just an odd feeling.  NUMBNESS/TINGLING - well, you'd think if hands and feet were numb, there'd be no pain... but it's more like the tingling you get after your leg has fallen asleep... that feeling you can't wait to go away.  FEVER - since my ER trip, when I was sure I didn't have a fever and it was in fact 103.9, I've learned to follow doctor's orders and take my temp twice a day.  It's surprising how quickly a fever can come upon you.  SLEEP PROBLEMS - This one is driving me crazy!  Sometimes I fall right to sleep and wake up at 3am and never go back to sleep.  Sometimes I'm awake untill 3am.  Or 5.  Or 6.  That's my favorite... 15 minutes before the alarm goes off!  LOL!  And then sometimes I sleep so much I have to think hard about what day it is.  There's no rhyme or reason to it.  At a time when sleep is important, it's a time when regular and consistent sleep is impossible.  If you're a chemo patient, or caring for someone who is... just keep these things in mind!

To sum it up... I feel like a ball being bounced against the wall.  My experience with chemo this time around is Simply Unpredictable!  Just don't know what I'm going to be up against from day to day!  But you know what?  I am making it each day.  Last night, my friend, Cathy Bush, and I enjoyed dinner together at the Mexican Shoney's and laughed and giggled and shared stories and encouragement with each other.  Despite the obstacles during the week, I ended up at a restaurant with a friend.  So who's blessed?  Me.