22 E-mail: #4 better than #3 so far

5/12/2006

MORNING-AFTER FEEDBACK ABOUT ROUND 4 OF ADRIAMYCIN/CYTOXAN
I might have mentioned that I would be taking an anti-anxiety pill this time to help me quell nausea by stressing less over chemo. It worked nicely.

Actually, I received a prescription for the pills and I was given the drug in IV form early into the infusion process yesterday. It made me a little sleepy and nicely relaxed. I wasn’t in any shape to drive, but I didn’t lose too much motor coordination.

I left the cancer center feeling less yicky than the three times before. I ate a reasonable amount of food for supper instead of next to nothing. I needed the anti-nausea drug later but I’m taking a different anti-nausea medication for the first three days after chemo and this new drug seems to get along better with my body. I get sleepy but not as “dead to the world” tired as before. I woke up this morning with a knot in my belly that threatened to turn into vomiting if I didn’t take it easy, but I took it easy and the knot subsided. The old medication didn’t work this well so I’m extremely grateful that I took a chance and switched.

If, like last time, I still have nausea even after taking the “good” anti-nausea drug Zofran, I can take this new drug along with the Zofran. I’ll risk a little sleepiness but the combination should get quell the nausea.

If I still feel sick even after taking the new drug, I can combine it with the anti-anxiety drug. As long as I don’t drive this should be fine.

Not driving is not an option today. I’m taking Kelric to the doctor this afternoon for his two-month checkup. My mom is staying with us to help during the “after chemo” days and she’ll be with me to help with the doctor visit. Later in the day I’ll go to the cancer center for the Neulasta shot and the genetic test blood draw (grrrrrr).

I’m just amazed at how much better I feel at the moment than I felt this same time after the third treatment.

My oncologist yesterday told us that several of his patients have reported less trouble with nausea with the Taxol drug. That’s what I’ll switch to for the fifth through eight chemotherapy treatments. Less is more.

BALDNESS AND HAIR
I’ve gotten used to having no hair. Sometimes I’ll drive around with nothing on my head. Sometimes I’ll take my cap off in the gym because I’m getting hot. Nobody points or laughs. Nobody comes up and asks why I’m bald. My eyebrows and eyelashes have thinned out, but so far they still exist. I don’t have to shave under my arms anymore and shaving my legs is necessary only occasionally. I still have hair on my arms which surprises me.

My head gets cold easily so I only go uncovered when I’m warm. I’ve figured out that wearing my little scarf cap along with my sleeping cap works to keep the sleeping cap on my head while providing extra warmth for my neck as the scarf tails hang down. Guy told me he thinks the combination looks like a Russian babooshka. He thought a babooshka meant a little bonnet like a grandmother would wear. I’ve looked it up on Google and found it means “grandmother” in Russian. Oddly enough, the word seems to have a double life as a slang for “sweetheart” or something like that. Whenever I put on my scarf plus sleeping cap at night I hear “Babooshka” by Kate Bush running through my head. “All yours, Babooshka, Babooshka, Babooshka, ya-ya.”

Angela

Previous - 21 E-mail: genetic test results delayed
Next – 23 E-mail: returned to work this week