Well, the new treatment went off without a hitch. I started Taxol last Thursday. I was very anxious to get this started because I had read so many scary stories about it. Everything from excruciating pain to finger nails coming off. Believe me, I was not looking forward to this.
Thursday came and I was thinking of different things to ask the doctor, so I didn't turn into one of those people I had been reading about. I didn't want my nails coming off and I certainly didn't want to be laid up in bed for weeks at a time because of the awful pain. When I brought my concerns up to my doctor, he thought I was a total loon. He told me to take the vitamin B6 and the Glutamine powder like his nurse had suggested. He said this would help with any tingling I should have. I could care less about tingling. I wanted to know about pain! He then told me anything I already had for pain should work just fine. So, there it was. He wasn't concerned, so neither was I.
When I went back to the treatment room I got comfortable and relaxed. They did all the normal stuff to me, but this time adding Benedryl to the mix of medicine they were putting in my veins. Mike and I watched TV, ate some lunch, and waited. It took about 3 1/2 hours or so for the IV of chemo to empty. Then we were off.
Normally when I come home from a treatment I am tired and a little ill. Not this time. No, I felt like normal. I felt like it was any other day. I tried to take a nap, but I couldn't. I tried to be lazy and rest, but I didn't need it. I felt fine.
The following day I took off work as normal. I use it as a recoup day. I wanted to rest and take naps like I was used to, but my body didn't care. It wanted to be up. I started to feel like I needed to go to work or give myself something to do, but I made myself give in and just laid around. When the afternoon came, I went back to the oncology office to get my post chemo and flu shots. After that, it was back to the house to twiddle my thumbs.
I guess it was Sunday when I started noticing a change. I started feeling it in my knees and in my ankles. My doctor had told me that any pain I may have will take 2-3 days to hit. I was expecting back and shoulder pain, but not knee pain. It was tolerable, but annoying. I was taken back to high school and running. It felt the same as if I had been running on concrete for miles, with shin splints and sprang ankles. Again, not too terrible, but very annoying. At times, I felt like I had lost the ability to walk.
I soaked my legs in a hot bath and Mike rubbed them for me. This worked. I felt so much better, but then the pain was especially bad at night. I kept stretching out my legs, but I couldn't sleep.
This went on for a few days. It's gone now, but now my fingers are starting to tingle. I had stopped the Glutamine powder because I wanted to see if there was a difference. Until now, I hadn't seen one... also, that stuff is nasty. I mixed with orange juice. It's bad enough to make me never want to drink orange juice again.
I've also been put on an anti-depressant. No, I am not depressed, I have real bad night sweats or hot flashes. So bad that I will wake up in a pool of water. If I cover up I am too hot, I uncover and I get too cold from being wet. It makes for very restless nights. so, going on a week of no sleep, I finally asked what can be done. They had already told me to stop caffeine, chocolate and spicy foods, but that was not working. So, they gave me an anti depressant. They told me it helps most women with their hot flashes and they wanted me to try it. Good news? It takes a month for it to work. Better news? It's addicting and when they are ready for me to get off it, I have to be weened.
So, only 3 more treatments. Then no more chemo and no more silly addicting pill that is not at all helping me right now. I will be spending the next post chemo week in Florida! Hopefully the pain isn't any worse than this time. I would like to enjoy my Mickey Mouse time.
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