Chemo – Round 2 – The Journal – June 13, 2011

June 19th, 2011

The Chemo Journal – Round 2

Round 2 Day 1 Outfit – Photographer was still in bed when I had to leave the house at 6:15 for breakfast with a friend so no full body


Day One

So I do look quite a bit different. Very little hair – and i’m betting by the next chemo on June 29 it will be COMPLETELY gone. I actually like not having hair to deal with. It’s one less thing I have to worry with when I have to go out in public.

I got the same round of drugs this time. No surprises. Except I was expecting a fairly normal day on this first day. That wasn’t to be. The headaches started about 3p and continued through the night. But like i’ve said a dozen times I have Dr. Gunn in my e-mail address book and he takes care of everything. I have a stash of florinal from the last round that I will try if the headaches don’t subside or get worse. He also wrote me a scrip for Restoril so I could sleep off some of the bad times. He’s a godsend for me, truly. Never thought I would think a doctor would be of any value to me beyond the office but boy was I wrong about this one special soul.

So it’s 4:15a in the morning and i’m up blogging but I went to sleep round 9p so 7 hours of sleep is actually pretty good. Tomorrow mid morning I go in for that Neulasta shot that goes in my stomach! That one really is a sucker punch…it takes a relatively bad day and triples it. I asked if it really was necessary and was assured it was so I just have to deal with it. I’ll sleep it off a lot this time though.

Hope my day 2 post isn’t too much worse…pray for me now.

Again – same drugs

  1. Saline Flushto clear the line
  2. Sodium Chloride – 500ml – hydration
  3. Lorazepam – .5mg – for anxiety and nausea
  4. Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate – 20mg – steroid to prevent allergic reactions
  5. Zofran – 18mg – for nausea
  6. Doxorubicin HCI – 104mg – this is Adriamycin, one of the chemo medications
  7. Cyclophosphamide – 1030mg – this is Cytoxin, one of the chemo medications
  8. Saline Flushused to clear the line
  9. Heparin (porcine) – 5ml – to prevent clotting at area of injection

Until later…

Day Two

I was pretty surprised when I woke up and the pain and unrest that had settled in the night before was miraculously gone. Went in for the Nuelasta shot – pretty uneventful. I don’t even mind the pain that comes with the actual shot anymore. I have seriously developed a tolerance for things I never thought I would.

Had lunch with my friend Susanna and her two sweet perfect little twin angels. Saw a couple of friends at Big City Bread while I was there. Went home, did some work. Made a really beautiful necklace for my substitute CEO, Jennifer Griffin. Had dinner delivered from Natalie Glenn, who used to be my right hand girl. It was a great day overall. Started feeling pretty wimpy around 7pm so I decided to just throw in the towel and go to sleep. Woke about 1am, did a little reading, e-mailing, watched a few awful infomercials, then dozed back off until 7:15a. As of now, in day three, i’m at a 6/10 – not to bad compared to last round. I even had the energy to drive my Sunny doggie to the groomers. Will check back in later tonite with an assessment of day three.

Day Three
This was a day dominated by the familiar chemo headache. Had muscle soreness in my legs off and on during the day. It was a much better day 3 than the last round so i’m thankful for that. Can you tell my sense of humor is wearing down?

Day Four
Again with the headaches. And metal mouth. One downer was I tried a push up and it tasted bad. Nooooo! Not many things appeal to me right now….and now even one less thing. My mouth is all confused. Maybe I should try some of the things I am normally disgusted by like brussel sprouts! That is all.

Day Five
Not too bad of a day. No headache. Just the metal/chemical taste in my mouth. Tried to eat yogurt today. Tasted like sour cream. I did eat some cottage cheese and that tasted fairly normal so I was glad about that. I also went shopping with my good friend Tonya Dugas at Suska, which is owned by my friends Sam and Susanna Drennen and that was a real treat. We spent two hours there. I ended up with four really great new additions to my extensive fashionista wardrobe.

Day Six
Woke up dizzy and it kinda got me down. By the afternoon I was in the gym and then did some light shopping. Overall a decent day.

Day Seven
Nice relaxing father’s day. Even managed to make breakfast for Buck. Didn’t even make me sick. That is a sign towards recovery. Last time it was day 12 before I felt completely normal. I think i’ll beat that this time. Hoping for Day ten or sooner.

Day Eight
Generally good day. Just the same metallic taste in my mouth and general queasiness. Had a friend come for a visit and we went out to dinner. Got really wiped out at about 7p and just wanted to sleep. May have OD on the sleeping pill though. Was eating a peanut butter sandwich (why did i want that – i never want that? I swear its like being pregnant) to get that taste out of my mouth and woke up in the middle of the night and found half of it in the bed. I fell asleep eating it!

Day Nine
Busy day today. Had tea with a friend in the morning. Did some cleaning. Had mother-in-law in for a visit, did some shopping, and felt pretty good! Had a little queasiness but totally manageable.

Day Ten
I can already tell today is normalcy. Back to the same me I was before all of this. Wow only 10 days this time. Last time I think it was day 12 before I felt like myself again.

  1. jackie says:

    Thank you for sharing this very scary thing with us. I have had friends go through this but your sharing is a testimony to the actual process. I wish I could ease your pain.
    I pray for your strength, minimal pain, recovery, and all the good things in the world.
    Your hair/head look lovely.

  2. Mom says:

    Today is “Flag Day”, so if you need to wave “Your” flag, wave it with pride. Love you much

  3. Sandy says:

    You look fabulous. Not many people can get away with the shaved head look. I’m so sorry you have to go through all of this. Your sharing and insight will be helpful to those that follow in your footsteps. Is there a book in the works?
    I pray for you, your family, your care providers and for a best outcome.

  4. Ellen Byrum Goad says:

    S- sitting here in Gardiner, Montana praying for you and yours. Thank you for sharing your journey.

  5. Mary Pat says:

    I’m going through same treatment. Try taking Claritin and Aleve day before Neulasta shot and then for 3-5 days after to eliminate bone and muscle/ joint pain. My research Onc suggested it.