Last time I checked in, my hair had started to fall out and I was contemplating shaving my head. Well, that happened. I had a little fun and put purple streaks in my hair for a few days, then buzzed it all off. It was so thin and awful by that point, I was just ready for it to go. No tears were shed. It was almost a relief to have it gone. Don't get me wrong, I miss my hair. But it's my long, thick, pre-chemo hair that I miss. Not the short, thin, gross hair that I had right before I shaved it. Good riddance!
I've had my second and third chemo treatments since the last time I checked in. For my second one, I drank a slurpie while the Adriamycin was going in. That cut down on the mouth sores considerably, but I still got them. I also still had stomach issues the following week, and ended up in the emergency room again.
My third chemo treatment was last Tuesday, and they almost had to postpone it because my white blood cell count was so low. They decided they were barely able to push forward with it, though. During the Adriamycin drip, I sucked on ice cubes this time. BINGO! I ended up with zero mouth sores this time. The ice cubes were definitely the key. It was amazing not having to deal with the sores and being able to eat normal food in the days after chemo. I also did not have stomach issues this time. In fact, other than the few hours of nausea after chemo and a few random stomach cramps, I've had no bad side effects this go around. (Knock on wood!)
I have noticed, however, that my taste buds are really starting to be affected. I don't consider that a "bad" side effect, but it's definitely something new to deal with. Things just taste strange. There are a couple types of soda I can no longer drink, including my beloved Diet Mountain Dew. It tastes awful. Most sugary things taste bland, and bottled water tastes like I have pennies in my mouth.
I'm really thankful that the mouth sores stayed away after this last treatment, because one of my good friends flew in from Utah for a visit, and it would have been awful trying to deal with any bad side effects while spending time with her. We went to the Seahawks game last weekend, and we had a blast! I'd been worried about going to the game with my WBC counts being so low, but it didn't end up being a problem. My legs got tired from all the walking, but that was to be expected. It's quite the hike to get up to the upper level seats! The game itself was incredible, and the Hawks got a much-needed win!
After much thought, I've made the decision to not go back to work until I'm done with my treatment. I'd hoped to continue working throughout this ordeal, but it's just not going to be possible. Not because I don't feel up to it, because that's not the issue. My white blood cell counts are the problem. It's cold and flu season, and people always come to work while they're sick, and I just can't be confined in a room with them for 12 hours a day. I can't risk it. So I'm using up the rest of the time I have in my leave banks, then going on long-term disability until April. I'm going to go absolutely stir crazy during my forced staycation, but it really is the best decision to stay home.
Being on leave from work meant that I was able to spend Thanksgiving with my family though, and I'm very thankful for that. My brother was in town from Oregon, and my sister and brother-in-law came from Idaho to visit. This was the first time I'd seen any of them since before my diagnosis, and it was so great to be able to spend time with them. We had a great dinner with our parents, watched the big Seahawks/49ers game, and played Cards Against Humanity. Such a great time!
Thanksgiving selfie! Rocking a wig and Seahawks jersey. :)
I have my fourth chemo treatment coming up on Tuesday, and I hope the side effects stay away like they have these past couple weeks! It's been so nice! After this treatment, I'll have a PET scan to see how much of the cancer has been slaughtered. Hopefully it's mostly gone!
I'm going to go relax a bit before bed. I promise I'll try to be better about updating this thing! :)
