We resumed chemo last Thursday, the 5th. I'm surprised to find the side effects are somewhat different this time. Fortunately, I've had no significant nose bleeds, which might be partially ascribed to the fact that my platelets have come up a bit, although they're still half of normal. Instead, I've had stomach and bone pain. I checked the Taxol info and found that these side effects are common.
What's not different is the fatigue; or, more accurately, the malaise: a lack of motivation, indifference to the completion of everyday tasks that keep a home tidy. I need to rest if I'm up for more than 10 minutes or so. Walking to the garbage chute at the end of the hall or going downstairs to check the mail counts as exercise these days.
I'm scheduled for scans on April 18. The results will help us decide on the plan for the remaining weeks. I'm nervous, but I'm trying to have hope (I wish I hadn't scanned the Washington Post article about cancer care that said patients and their families are often "too optimistic.").
Last week's labs showed my Bilirubin is back in normal range, and I take that as encouragement, a sign that in some ways, my liver is functioning normally. It also means no jaundice. The chemo has negatively impacted other liver functions, but I hope they'll normalize when I'm off Taxol for good. Having a two week break due to the infection in my arm gave me an idea of how quickly the side effects start to wear off.
My doctor mentioned maybe switching my PICC line for a port in the future and said something about "other chemo." I should probably tell him that "other chemo" is not something I'll want to do, at least as it stands now. This treatment is 13 weekly infusions, and there are five remaining. I can't imagine going through anything like this again. When we're done I want the PICC line removed, and I want my hair to grow back, and I want some energy and some days without disruptive side effects. I hope that's an option.
Right now I'm focusing on making sure I get enough protein because my lab results showed that I'm below normal range. I haven't been eating burritos regularly, like I used to, and I should get back to that. It's hard to beat the burritos at Muchas Gracias, when you consider the price, but walking over there would be a challenge. That's pretty loco, since it's barely a block away!
What's not different is the fatigue; or, more accurately, the malaise: a lack of motivation, indifference to the completion of everyday tasks that keep a home tidy. I need to rest if I'm up for more than 10 minutes or so. Walking to the garbage chute at the end of the hall or going downstairs to check the mail counts as exercise these days.
I'm scheduled for scans on April 18. The results will help us decide on the plan for the remaining weeks. I'm nervous, but I'm trying to have hope (I wish I hadn't scanned the Washington Post article about cancer care that said patients and their families are often "too optimistic.").
Last week's labs showed my Bilirubin is back in normal range, and I take that as encouragement, a sign that in some ways, my liver is functioning normally. It also means no jaundice. The chemo has negatively impacted other liver functions, but I hope they'll normalize when I'm off Taxol for good. Having a two week break due to the infection in my arm gave me an idea of how quickly the side effects start to wear off.
My doctor mentioned maybe switching my PICC line for a port in the future and said something about "other chemo." I should probably tell him that "other chemo" is not something I'll want to do, at least as it stands now. This treatment is 13 weekly infusions, and there are five remaining. I can't imagine going through anything like this again. When we're done I want the PICC line removed, and I want my hair to grow back, and I want some energy and some days without disruptive side effects. I hope that's an option.
Right now I'm focusing on making sure I get enough protein because my lab results showed that I'm below normal range. I haven't been eating burritos regularly, like I used to, and I should get back to that. It's hard to beat the burritos at Muchas Gracias, when you consider the price, but walking over there would be a challenge. That's pretty loco, since it's barely a block away!