Finished round 4 on June 28/29 and I should be feeling pretty darn good about being 2/3 of the way through, but I don't. This was a particularly rough round for me as the side effects were more pronounced than ever before, especially the constant nausea and fatigue. It is now day 9 and I am still feeling the effects. The smell of any cleansers and soaps are making me gag, and almost all food tastes metallic and chemically (is that a word?)
The other issue was with the insertion of the IV needle for the treatments. Because I had lymph nodes removed at the time of my breast cancer surgery, I can only do blood work or have IV's inserted on the unaffected left arm. To complicate things, I've always had a problem with collapsing veins and for this round, my veins went into hiding (they are also sore and tired). Over 2 days, it took 4 different nurses, 9 separate attempts at getting the IV in. At one point during this ordeal I asked them if I could just drink the stuff!
I've been pretty much house-bound for the last 5 months and the walls of our nice new home are beginning to close in on me; some days I'm struggling to find the fortitude to get out of bed in the morning. Kinda like the last trimester of pregnancy in the hottest days of summer - you just want the misery to end.
On the upside, I had a lovely visit with my friends Somaya and Gail the week before chemo and over the course of 4 days, we visited 3 different beaches, hung out on the deck, ate really good food and even drank a little wine (some people consuming more than others....) And then I had a great visit with Jody who was here during treatment and is now back in Calgary hanging out with the cowboys who've invaded the city!
I am feeling a bit like Chuck Lorre with this instalment of my blog. For those who don't know Chuck, he's a producer of TV shows like Big Bang Theory. At the end of each episode, there is always a blurb with his musings about life in general, but sometimes the blurb just reads "I got nothing." Ditto!
I did want to quickly mention the nursing staff at the Cancer Daycare Centre (that place where I go to get stabbed). They are truly awesome - always upbeat and positive, very attentive and they do really try to be gentle with the process. I've come to know a couple of them over the last few months as they are more than willing to share personal stories with you, all in an attempt to make the process feel somewhat human. I am a bit saddened by the fact that it's a temporary scenario and I likely would not see them again once I'm done round 6.
First we have to get through session #5 which is slated for July 26/27. I'm not looking forward to it but am trying to stay focused and positive on the goal line which will be Aug 24 (final treatment) and then a full 3 1/2 month break before the next phase. We can do this!