Hello all. I met with my medical oncologist yesterday. My next and last round of chemo is scheduled for Monday, April 25th. I'm dreading it already. The dose of the chemo cannot be decreased-he states if it were decreased again it wouldn't be considered effective enough. My neuropathy is still present but has been improving. Unfortunately, I've developed a lot of muscle pain, especially in my upper legs. This makes it very difficult for me to walk after sitting for a period of time. So when I mix together the stiff/achy legs and the neuropathy in my feet I look like I'm 90 years old when I start walking. Jacqueline (my official researcher) states this a normal side effect of the Taxol chemo, especially in the later rounds because the Taxol has an accumulative effect on the body.
My intraperitoneal port has literally been a pain in my side for some reason the past week or so. I sent an email today to my surgeon to schedule removal now that we know the last day of my chemo. The doctors prefer to wait about a month after my last chemo to remove it due to the possibility of infection. It will be one step closer to me feeling like I have a normal body again.
My energy has been pretty good as long as I can get plenty of sleep (10-12 hours). The chemo is a bit of a double edged sword in that it causes a lot of fatigue but also greatly effects the quality of sleep and causes an inability to sleep (usually between the hours of 1-4 am). The long hours of sleeping is very odd for me, but again doctors say it is very normal.
I've been able to have some fun and have met up with some friends. Thank you Sheetal, Don, Seanna, Kecia, Mark, Neil, Jacqueline, Brian, Carolyn, Joanie, Marla, and Linda for meeting up with me. The family also spent last Sunday going to Ano Nuevo State Reserve to see the elephant seals. Mom is going to post a pic from the day.
Again I appreciate everyone's support. I love getting your posts. I wish I could email each of you back when you do post but we haven't figured out how to do that, if it's possible at all. I apologize if the blog seems negative at times. Those who know me very well, know that I "tell it like it is" and to be honest I have found chemo to be the hardest thing I've ever gone through and it makes running a marathon seem like a nice walk in the park. So if the post seems that I'm down and out I'm just being honest in how I'm handling this "journey" of mine.
Thank you and take care,
Denise
1 comment:
Hey Nise. Hope all went well yesterday. I know the next few weeks are going to be rough, but we are thinking of you and can't wait to see you. Santa Cruz looks like it was amazing. We will have to do Stinson Beach or Muir Woods or something when you are feeling up to it!!
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