The Latest on Chemo

Last Thursday I sat in a recliner for over five hours receiving the first batch of the chemotherapy cocktail that will be my standard every three weeks for the next twelve weeks or so.  There were five bags of medication that were pumped in over this time period and that made for a long day.  This is my third experience with IV chemo.  The other medication I took was a little white pill that I popped in my mouth every morning when I got up.  Simple.  If only it had worked.  This is a bit more onerous, but certainly doable.   I was given anti-nausea medication first, then some Benedryl to combat symptoms, then three IVs of cancer fighters Carboplatin, Avastin, and Taxol.  A powerful combination, which I visualize knocking out these cancer cells.

The next day I went back in for what I think is a wonder drug.  The shot is designed to boost the white blood cell production in the bone marrow, thereby increasing the power of the immune system which can be devastated by the chemo.  This does not mean that the immune system is not compromised, but it does mean that the affect can be more moderate.  The side effects of this were described as “bone pain.”  That sounded pretty unpleasant, but worth the trade off.

When we talked about the “new” chemo plan initially, I had a fair amount of anxiety about the side effects.   There was talk about fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, loss of appetite, etc.  The list went on and on and I was thinking of life between bed and the bathroom as being in my future for the next several weeks. Friends who have had chemo, even recently, have told me to expect a bad time for at least a few days after every treatment. 

So far, I’ve been lucky.

The only possible side effect that I’ve noticed, and this is Day 4, is that I want a little nap in the afternoon.  I’m eating well, no urgent trips to the bathroom, and I continue to walk 1-2 miles most days, do yoga or strength training at least 3 times a week, meditate daily and eat normally.  I need to curtail some of my social life (large groups and sick people are out for now) and I am avoiding places that I think of as germ laden (public restrooms, gas pumps, grocery carts, buffet restaurants).  I ask people to wash their hands when they come into our house and wash mine frequently. 

While this diagnosis does hang over my head, life continues to be mostly normal.  I am fortunate and I am grateful.  I am also hoping that this trend continues.