In Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquoy, he talks about "The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to." And he never went through chemo. :-)
What we all know (or think we know) about chemo is that it makes you nauseous and it makes your hair fall out, right? Well, not to be a downer, but there's a few other side effects that don't get as much press. They're not life-threatening, or debilitating, and also usually not apparent (like the hair loss), but they are a drag and when they're cumulative, they can be a real PITA.
Between mouth sores, a case of conjunctivitis I can't seem to shake, and some lower GI issues that have some other implications (I'm *trying* to be discreet), it's hard sometimes not to whine.
This reminds me a bit of when I was pregnant and I was left to discover some of the side effects of pregnancy and childbirth that aren't discussed in all those helpful books. While it's true that all my symptoms are listed on the literature for the meds I'm taking, I didn't really pay much heed. Because I almost never have the potential side effects they warn about when I am given new medication. But chemo is a whole new world, as I keep learning.
Meanwhile, my parents are visiting for the holidays and we're having a really nice visit. We've been playing card games and just hanging, for the most part. And Mom will go with me tomorrow to my first Taxol infusion.
Emily was home for the weekend and Frank was shocked to see that her head did not seem to have grown to accommodate her bigger brain. Our friend John says that doesn't happen until sophomore year, so we've relaxed a bit.
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2 comments:
We were hoping you guys would be able to enjoy Thanksgiving, and it sounds like you did. Those home visits from Emily will begin to mean even more as she progresses upward, even if you may have to enlarge the door to accommodate her enlarged cranium.
Your blogging is such a good idea. I devour the entries like sugared almonds.
We'll keep our fingers crossed for no Taxol-specific negative reactions. If a sense of humor and good will radiating outward mean anything, you've got an impenetrable shield against bad side effects.
I'm so glad to know that I should be protected against some of this, just by being me. :-) Taxol today went better than the A/C, if a bit longer (um, like twice as long). I'm pretty wiped out this evening, but my stomach isn't nearly as tender as after A/C transfusions. We'll see.
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