One week down, 41 to go!

Each cancer has it's own ribbon color. My cancer is gold and a type only kids normally get.

It’s been six years since I had to have chemo and after my recent treatment I realized there was a lot of things I forgot or forced from my memory. Different scents, feelings, and sensations. None of which were pleasant.

I was so proud of myself that day because I packed foods that I new would not upset my stomach and remembered to wear comfortable clothing. I brought my Kindle, notebook, and even a deck of cards. I was ready. I’m a pro, right? Not exactly.

My brother-in-law, Richard, took me to treatment. We chatted for a while as the nurse got me ready and started IV hydration and some necessary meds to protect my bladder from the chemo. It takes three to four hours of this before they even give me the chemo meds. They started an anti-nausea drug thru the IV. This drug is powerful and is primarily responsible for knocking out any nausea for three to four days after treatment (in combination with other drugs). I don’t remember how long the drug was dripping but a fast, uncomfortable feeling began that stopped me mid-sentence. I thought I might be sick and asked Richard to get the nurse. As soon as he left my side my face went flush, my body went numb and my airway was constricted. I said out loud to whomever might hear that I couldn’t breath. Within seconds I had three nurses and a doctor working on me while I was taking small breaths and telling myself not to panic. We later figured out that the anti-nausea drug was the culprit. The IV form is very concentrated and it was too much for me to handle. You learn things as you go along because everyone is so different in how their bodies react to things. Unfortunately many of the times, this is how you learn.

The next day I went back to get my Nulasta shot which is a white blood cell booster. This shot is known to cause bone pain. What I remembered about that shot is that my pain was concentrated in my jaw but also affected many other areas like my joints and ribs. So between feeling borderline car-sick all the time and my bone pain which was worse then I remembered, it was an uncomfortable first four days.

But then by Friday, I got significantly better. Right now I am able to do things around the house, go out, and even go to the gym but I have to do it all in moderation. This morning, I felt a little too good and over did it trying to reorganize the pantry and ended up on the couch for a while. It was a good reminder that even though I feel almost normal, I’m not. It changes that quickly. So, this first treatment didn’t go as well as I hoped but I’m doing better. 

Lately I’ve been keeping myself busy doing random things. I still have my hands in the Literacy pot with Orphan Network so that makes me happy. I have also recently gotten into Pinterest.com and have tried random crafts, organization ideas, and recipes. I have plenty to keep me busy though - a full to-do list really. Just taking it one day at a time.

A recent quote I saw on Pinterest was Don’t tell your God that you have a big problem. Tell your problem you have a big God. I love that.