Chemo infusions: 5 down, 7 to go!
I had a pretty good week after my last chemo session. The hospital has private rooms for chemo patients with comfortable chairs. After my first session in a room with a window that was pretty cold, I started layering up on Tuesdays and it has helped tremendously to have a thermal layer beneath my regular clothes. I prefer the ease of layering clothes over dealing with blankets that I would have to bleach or burn after letting them cross the threshold of a hospital… Kidding! Really, even without hair on my head this time, I was warm and I have good hats to use when I want them.
Yes, the hair came off last weekend. The boys helped Joe shave off my pixie cut and the relief I feel from the discomfort of it falling out is indescribable. I can't believe I'm going to reference Home Alone twice now, but remember when Harry's head is torched and he runs to the yard and buries his head in the snow and you hear the sizzle of sweet relief? That was me rubbing Eucerin cream all over my scalp on Saturday. Were it sold in 10 gallon buckets, I would have dunked my head in that lotion in a heartbeat.
The facial rash I have been getting was indeed spread around my scalp as I suspected and applying Benedryl cream has helped start to clear it up. You can still see some red bumps above my left eyebrow in this picture from last night:
Oops, wrong picture.
Here we go:
Here we go:
I share some of these specifics because cancer seems to touch almost everyone, directly or indirectly, and you never know when another might experience the same symptoms and appreciate knowing what helped someone else. I seem to have a new symptom layered on each week and this time it was neuropathy. While unloading the dishwasher a few days ago I noticed a quick pain sensation when my fingertips would bump into a cup or a bowl. I started paying attention to my fingers and realized they were a little numb right on the very ends. Vitamin B6 twice a day was prescribed to help ease the neuropathy and hopefully prevent it from worsening as well. My vision was good and stable this week thanks to the drops, gels and ointments I'm using. Of course, all the drops, gels and ointments make my eyes a little blurry sometimes- hah! What's life without irony?!
My 5th infusion yesterday went well. Infusions are predictable now and there's comfort in that for all of us. We are almost to the halfway mark and looking forward to that milestone.
Aside from my treatment we are focusing on Ian and Henry turning NINE YEARS OLD on February 12th! They just asked yesterday when cards will start coming in the mail. They are excited for birthday greetings, bringing cinnamon rolls to share at school, a 5 day weekend that happens to start on February 12th and they have their fingers crossed for a birthday sleepover to celebrate (they chose new bed lofts for their rooms instead of a party). Birthdays will be a fun distraction this month!
Thank you for thinking of us and caring about us, we appreciate it!
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