4 down, 2 to go!

When I get through this chemo/radiation thing, I never want to hear the words “side effect” again.

Today is Day Two after my fourth round of chemo. I slept last night! I’ve learned not to waste a perfectly good sleeping pill the night of chemo, so I always look forward to dosing up and going to bed the second night.

Last weekend was supposed to be my good weekend, so Jake came to visit. (I have photos of him in my wig that are quite flattering!) I spent a good share of the weekend with either dry, burning eyes – or with uncontrollable tears blurring my vision. When I closed my eyes for any length of time, mucous formed at the corners. In the morning, my eyes had to be soaked open. Just when I was beginning to think I’d have to spend the rest of my treatment with my eyes closed, the problem cleared up on Monday night. (This is a blocked tear duct that easily becomes infected. If it hadn’t cleared up, the solution is surgical insertion of a teeny-tiny stent.)

On Monday I had a nasty toothache, but of course with all the weird stuff going on with my body, I hoped it was just another side effect that would go away. When I saw the nurse practitioner onTuesday before chemo, she urged me to see my dentist – because it sounded to her like a nasty toothache!

So chemo with a toothache was a special treat. Fortunately, I got my favorite chemo chair (view of the outdoors and no TV) and was soon joined by one of the women I’d met at the “Look Good Feel Better” gathering two weeks ago. Julie and I had been emailing since we met, so it was nice to run into her in person. She is a gem of a person, younger than I, very positive, and is just a few treatments behind me. While side by side in our chairs, she had the same scary throat-closing reaction to Taxotere that I had at my second round – but more severe, poor dear. The nurses said the reaction is very rare, but Julie and I now find that hard to believe.

My infusions went without incident, but I felt more weak and whacked out afterward than ever. This, they tell me, is because my body is being worn down a little more with each treatment. Not to mention I still had the piercing toothache. I am also now slightly anemic, so am increasing protein intake and hoping for more energy.

I was so grateful to see my dentist yesterday. He fit me in for an x-ray in the morning and patched me with a filling underneath a crown in the afternoon. We’re hoping I can delay a root canal until after cancer treatment.

Once again, I’m optimistic about the future. Now that I’m slowly learning that the side effects come and go at random, there’s a little less anxiety. ‘Just have to go with the flow and enjoy the good moments, like everyone else. But here's a warning about my new look: My brother came to visit this morning. The first words out of his mouth were "Oh, yes, you ARE a little fatter!" It's a good thing I love him so much.