Yesterday I had my 6th chemotherapy treatment. It was my 2nd Taxol out of 4. That means I am almost done. I had Pat as my nurse and she was so excited that I am almost done. I cant get that excited yet, maybe at my next treatment. When I arrived I did the usual stuff, I went to the lab to have my blood drawn. Results were what they called excellent for someone going through dose dense chemo. My hematocrit or RBC's were actually improved from the last time. They were 32 last time and now they went up 2 pts to 34. I was shocked that they improved and also shocked that my WBC's werent elevated because I woke up with a slight cough. I think the cough was caused by taking too much benadryl the night before. When I took the Tylenol PM I took 2 pills and next time I know to take 1 only. It dried my lungs up too much so I learn from my mistakes.
After my blood results came in they set me up in my usual recliner in the back of the huge waiting room. I was seated next to an elderly lady, probably in her late 70's or early 80's who started a converstation with me while I started to get my pre-meds.
I was getting Decadron, another anti-emetic that I cant remember the name of, benadryl and tagamet, all IV, so I was a bit groggy while having this conversation with my elderly friend, Belle. She asked me what I was being treated for and I told her breast cancer. She asked me lots of questions about how the chemo made me feel and was surprised that she was feeling lots of the same things I was. There were times in our conversation where I can see that she was getting emotional and wanted to cry. I said a few times that its OK to cry and I do it alot. She smiled at me and didnt reply but I can tell she cried in private. I asked her what she was being treated for and she said she had a tumor on her ovary and that they were trying to shrink it but it wasnt shrinking after 6 months of chemo. Wow, I was shocked that she was going through this for 6 months and they were unable to remove it until it shrunk. I felt so bad for her that I wanted to get up and hug her but I was stuck in my recliner. When she was finished with her treatment she came over to me and put her hand on my arm and said, "Good luck to you". I wished her the same and we parted ways. I told her maybe we would run into each other again on a Thursday treatment day. What a sweet lady. Like all the other patients I have met during my treatments, I will never forget her.
My hubby went to get me a hamburger and fries from the hospital cafeteria across the street for my usual lunch during treatment. I couldnt finish it because my stomach felt funny and I didnt want to push it and then throw up. During the Taxol infusion I noticed my skin and nail beds were stark white! It scared the crap out of me when I saw it but my husband said it was common when Taxol is being given. That didnt make me feel any better. I fell asleep the last 60-90 minutes of the treatment and the office at the time was on lunch break so no one was in the waiting room. It was nice and quite and I was able to rest. The nurses and Dr were all whispering as not to wake me up. I thought that was so sweet of them.
On the way home the pain started to kick in. My joints, mostly in my lower body were not happy. Neuropathy was also occuring in my feet and hands. I hate that horrible feeling of numbness because it makes it difficult to walk and do things with your hands. My left arm is also more swollen today and I think that the Taxol in addition to the lymphedema causes that. I skipped my OT session today due to me not being able to get my butt out of bed. I dont have another appointment until next Friday and I hope the swelling doesnt get any worse.
I took a relaxing bath with my dead sea salts, Pink dead sea salts and extra epsom salts with lavender oil that I made myself. It doesnt make the pain go away but it certainly helps to ease the pain. I always feel better, more refreshed after I soak in the tub for awhile.
Its raining again today as it was all last night. I dont mind the rain its just the lightning and thunder that bothers me. I heard that a police officer was hit by lightning in NYC last night and he was in supposedly the safest place you can be in an electric storm, his car. No place is safe in a storm except my basement! You should see me when a storm is coming, I go into total anxiety attack mode and usually have to pop one of my anti-anxiety pills.
On the hair front I am still rubbing Moonchaser's oil into my head twice a day and there are more little hairs here and there. I am gaining more stubble or peach fuzz as I call it, than length, but thats OK because I know its coming, just not as fast as I want it to.
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