A Few Days After #2

The good - I'm not feeling worse this round, in fact it is much easier because my port is healed (last time I was feeling sore from that, too). I only took 1 steroid pill (was prescribed 4), next time I might take the one on the second morning after chemo (or another anti-nausea as soon as I wake up) - I was feeling pretty crappy that morning and eventually ended up taking another anti-nausea and felt better.

I am worried that I'm going to end up in the hospital again this round. My toddler still has a cold (or a new one?) and it's impossible to interact with him without getting sneezed on. He sneezed all over my breakfast this morning (obviously, I didn't eat it). I'm not sure how to be a mom and avoid germs.

Round 2 A/C Chemo

Had my second infusion yesterday. It went by so quickly, somehow! It's only 24 hours later but so far the symptoms haven't been worse. I was prescribed steroid pills to take 2x day the two days after treatment (to augment the anti-nausea IV, which lasts 3 days) but I'm only going to take them 1x a day (with doctor's permission) and see how it goes.

Besides the ER visit, the last round went pretty well so I'm not as nervous this time knowing the effects will wear off soon.

Shaving my head

I finally shaved my head and I love it! I feel powerful and I think my face looks a lot more feminine and well structured than it does with hair. (Too bad the little bit of hair and eyebrows are going to fall out - may not look quite as intentional).

And I ended up in the ER...

Just when I felt like this first round was going to be easy... About 5 days after treatment I was feeling completely back to normal, high energy, etc.

Then, a week after treatment I got my bloodwork done as instructed and got a call from the doctor that my white blood cell count was low. Did I feel bad, she asked? No, but I took my temperature and it was high, so I had to go to the ER. By the time I got there, my temp was 102 and they ended up keeping me overnight, doing a ton of tests, and waiting for my WBC count to go back up. This was such a shock to me because I had been feeling fine!

Being in the hospital sucked because I got no sleep (I checked in around 10pm and got moved into a room at 4am after which I got 2 more rounds of antibiotics, so constant IV beeping). Someone said I'd probably have to stay another night and I actually started crying. Luckily, I got out in the afternoon instead.

Lesson learned - this round I'm taking my temperature every day!

It turned out to be a cold from my toddler (unavoidable) and I was showing no symptoms except the fever. It sucked because they had to do the flu/virus test and stuck this giant Qtip thing about 5 inches up my nose, and it gave me a raging sinus migraine for the next few days. I was almost going to call the dr about those symptoms, but I get sinus migraines and they were pretty consistent with my usual (dizziness, head pressure, nausea) so I didn't bother, and it did go away after about 3 days.

A Week After First A/C Chemo

This week has been totally manageable - I'm sure it won't always be that way, but I'm taking what I can get! Chemo was Wednesday - I took two anti-nausea pills the two nights after, but on the weekend (a long holiday weekend, yay) I only felt like I had a minor hangover. 6/7 days after the treatment I feel totally back to normal.

I also didn't feel any side effects from the Neulasta this time, I was worried because I heard about excruciating bone pain.

It's also great that I got the port bandage off yesterday and was cleared to lift my baby and take showers!! The port feels fine at rest though sometimes it feels a bit funny when I move around - not horrible though.

Of course toddler has a cold and my husband got it too - I'm trying not to get it and remembering that around now is supposed to be the low point for my white blood cells (going to get bloodwork later today). It's so hard to avoid contact but of course I'm not sharing glasses and trying not to get sneezed on.

I managed to workout on my bike every day and walk over 10,000 steps. I know it'll be hard to keep that up but I wonder if it helped (and I should).