Round 2 - A few new side effects
Here we go - through round two of my Chemo infusions. You may recall from my last post that we were going to add a desensitization protocol this time around and see how that goes. Well, after 8 hours in the infusion center, I received the full does of Oxaliplatin without any negative reactions, so that will be our new plan of attack for now. Every other Monday I will go into the infusion center at 7:30 AM and leave around 4:00 PM. I opened it up, waved at everyone else who came and went, and closed it down. My nurse was amazing and she worked with me her entire shift. It was nice that we could start and end the day together. :-)
I made a new friend. His name is Gideon, and he is a support dog. He was simply the sweetest, as he sat on my feet and leaned against my legs as I pet him. He didn’t even mind that I had my lunch on the tray right next to him. I used to work at Southdale Hospital when I was in college and I remember the support dogs that came through. I never thought I would be on the receiving end as a patient, but I can honestly say that it was a pleasant break in my long day.
I started out with a bunch of pre-meds, and once I had the full dose of Benadryl, I became very sleepy! I am going to apologize right now if you sent me a text and I responded in a strange way or could not spell. I have noticed that has become a problem when I’m all medicated. Chemo brain is a real thing, much like COVID brain! Functioning on all cylinders is a challenge some days. So, please give me grace if I go through periods of incoherent phrases or not catching the fabulous auto-correct feature on my phone.
I have also made a few scheduling errors, so if we don’t show up somewhere, or show up on the wrong day, I will also take the credit (blame) for that. I apologize in advance, and I am desperately double and triple checking things now.
Once my infusion was complete yesterday, I was hooked up to BRUNO again and sent on my merry way. A generous friend from our church picked me up in the heart of rush hour, and brought me home. I am very thankful once again for the support everyone is showing us. This is tough.
I washed my hands before leaving the clinic and instantly noticed that I had not dried them fully when the air hit my fingers and felt like frost bite! I have had to wear gloves to do pretty much everything. Even touching this computer is freezing my hands! Thankfully the keys are plastic and feel comfortable. I have also had some cramping in my jaw as I eat and in my throat when I swallow. Also, crying hurts SO much!! So, none of that!! Haha! All normal reactions according to my nurse. I am quickly learning how to warm my food and drink warm lemon water to stay hydrated. I also love the electric blanket that I received for my birthday. I did not know how much I would appreciate that!!
Another fun surprise I received for my birthday is a week subscription to Sprinly. They are a plant based (Vegan, dairy free, gluten free, no added refined sugars) fresh meal delivery service. I am excited to get my first week’s worth of meals to try out. If I like them it will be something we can do once in a while, when I need something different and new to try, and when Darek. The meals come assembled and ready to eat (or heat and eat). Everything fits my diet too, so that is very exciting! I will keep you all posted on how that goes in case you are interested in trying the meals out.
On Saturday, Darek surprised me with a date night and he invited two of our very close friends whom we do not get to see very often. It was such a fun night of conversation, great food, and refreshing time together.
Oh, and I cannot forget to mention the CURRY jersey that I have been wearing, which I am sure is helping the Warriors win, win win!! Ask Darek, it looks great over my PJ’s (because we all know that once 9:30 rolls around I start riding the struggle bus)!
Well, I will wrap it up here. For the most part I am feeling similar to how I did last time. I am a little more queasy, but not enough to warrant taking Zofran yet. I am finding that as long as I don’t skip meals, and I stay hydrated it helps me feel better. My Doctor did add two days of a steroid called Dexamethasone. I woke up at 3:30 this morning and was unable to fall back asleep until after 6:00. Then, I have been feeling tired, but still unable to sleep. Well, come to find out that the steroid causes some hyper-activity. So, now I know why I am feeling a little high strung, but I just want to rest. I think I will go for a walk (with my winter coat, scarf, hat, and gloves so I don’t feel like frost bite is attacking me). Oh, and my rosy cheeks - also from the steroid. What a sight!! I bet you wish you were my neighbor now! Haha!
I recently read a devotion by Lysa TerKeurst that stated: “My ability to heal cannot depend on anyone’s choices but my own… What if we stopped waiting for things to feel right and fair and placed our healing in the hands of Jesus instead.” The point here is that we can heal, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually if we surrender to Jesus and allow Him to be our one true healer. We can choose this! We don’t need to wait for anyone else’s permission to make the decision to move toward healing. I realize there are many steps involved in that process, but it’s up to each one of us to take that first step. We can move forward together, and I am here to encourage you through that process if you need it. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for prayer or encouragement. It honestly helps me heal if I can take my eyes off of myself and turn them toward others.
John 5:6
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
I am grateful for each of you, and sincerely hope you are well! Let’s be a community that builds one another up and encourages each other. We are stronger and more effective if we fight together and support each other!
Let me know how I can pray for and encourage you!
