The good news is that although fatigue is my new normal, it gradually decreases from Days 8-14. Days 8-11 I had disrupted taste, chemo belly, and fatigue. On those days I can eat a little more an experiment with what food tastes decent. I can run an errand or two, but that will require a nap before and/or after. I can do my daily word puzzles more easily, but definitely not up to typical brain Lacey level. I can interact better with the kids and help them problem solve to meet their needs. However, I don’t feel good. I usually have my Wave condition meter at Mediocre-Fair on those days. By Day 11, I can move that meter up to Fair. On Day 13-14, I can go up to Fair-Good.
Some updates on chemo side effects issues:
- The anti-fungal cleared up the thrush on my tongue. I still have some soreness, but the yucky white film is gone. I just need to stay on top of my mouthwash this week and hope it doesn’t return.
- My hair is coming out in handfuls. I’ll spare you the photo of the handfuls. I wouldn’t say I’m balding, but there is significant thinning. I have some redness on my scalp, and I’ve got a cute little friar bald spot at my cowlick. It’s likely time to go to the next hair cut phase. Time to find a pixie cut I like…
- I learned that chemo belly is a thing, and not only does it include diarrhea and constipation, but bloating and gas. I’ve definitely been feeling the bloating and gas. I might start to practice belching the ABCs and return to saying “ribbit” when I burp :)
- My port scar had this odd white thing coming out of for a while. I assumed it was a stitch that didn’t dissolve. It’s has been bugging me that it’s there, and I’d scratch it a little to see if it was just some dead skin that needed to be scraped off. I didn’t dare pull it bc I didn’t want to start spurting blood! On Sunday I gave it a little scratch again and it finally came out. I have no idea if it was a stitch or not. It definitely wasn’t a soft string, there was some hardness or build up on it. Perhaps that was kinking my port tube and causing the lack of blood return. I was so happy to have it out. I felt such relief not to have this nagging thing on there. But come Sunday night, I moved in a way that made the scar start to sting and burn. There is no evidence of infection. It only actively stings when I make certain movements, when I touch the specific spot, or when my saggy boob is tugging on the scar. I continue to think my port isn’t settled quite right in there, but it hasn’t been concerning to my nurses or doctors yet. So we just keep going.
- My blood tests were pretty good this time around. They are much improved from my hospital blood tests. My hemoglobin and hematocrit remain low, but not critically low. My platelets have been on a steady decline since I started chemo, but they are still within normal range. Liver and kidneys seem to be holding strong.
- I’m still working on figuring out how to drink fluids that don’t taste gross. I’ve currently settled on flavored sparkling water bc there is an expected metallic taste with it anyway. I’m not sure how it’s going to go for Days 1-7 though. I really need warm liquids on those days. I was super sad when my beloved decaf Earl Grey tea tasted gross to me on Day 8. Alternatively, I’m going to try drinking through a straw. Let me know if you have any other good ideas.
Day 14 normalcy-ish. I was able to take the kids to school and able to pick them up on my own. I drove Loki all by myself. I adjusted easily to one-pedal driving, and I wasn’t as intimidated by his size. In the evening, I helped a bit with making our meatloaf, broccoli, and roasted potatoes dinner, and I was able to eat it in a decent portion.
I’m currently sitting in my recliner in my infusion bay for Cycle 4. My blood pulled without the medication, so that has cut our stay down by 2 hours! Thank goodness. All the nurses had their fingers crossed and prayers uplifted, so they were happy to hear when my nurse got blood. I was definitely expecting an issue, but hoping that maybe that white thing that came out was the culprit from the last session. Maybe it wasn’t correlation is not causation, but here’s to hoping the issue has resolved itself. I’m fading in energy as I write this. I’m hoping it’s easier to walk out of here today, but I know how to manage if it’s not. Here I go…time to get through Days 1-7.
Onward.