I have surpassed my first week after treatments and very happy to report that I have not experienced any side effects yet. No nausea, vomiting, loss of taste/ appetite, metallic taste in mouth or fatigue.
7-10 days after chemo is when my immune system is at its lowest and I was trudging through snow to cut spruce boughs to make swags outside the house. I know this round was my easiest because my body was a "chemo virgin." It will get worse with each round but I am hoping and praying that because I haven't experienced anything yet, the next time will go smoothly and I can have a decent Christmas and New Years. After that, January and February are crappy months and hibernation isn't necessarily a bad thing. My last chemo treatment will be March and I expect to be so bloody happy to have that part of the tour behind me.
By the way - Please do not refer to this as "my journey." The term is too hokey and too "pink ribbon" for me. I prefer "Tour" and I'm performing a show at different hospitals in the city. But my home stage is the General.
The home nurse came over on Tuesday to remove my tubes. He was easily 250 lbs and 6'4. Boy, did they ever stick him in the wrong place. I have low ceilings. And he is assigned to me throughout my treatments. I think when he said "Hopefully I won't have to see you again until the end to gather your file" had a double meaning. He told me one of the drugs I took the day of my treatment was a steroid. That explains the chicken wing cravings and sky rocketed appetite. After he left, I removed the hand held shower, replaced it with my old shower head and took the world's longest shower. I was in my happy place again. I now have a large lump under the skin and can feel the tube that goes into my neck. It's not that bad. At least, I can work out again; just with some limitations for the next 8 weeks.
I thought I was well prepared to start treatments. I purchased new humidifiers, gentle skin care, special toothpaste, made arrangements for work, etc. The one thing I overlooked was snow removal. I was lying in bed on Tuesday, during the first snow storm of the season when I had an "oh shit" moment around 9:30 PM. Living in the Market, I have street parking but digging is required when the plow passes. Now I have a few more weeks of healing around the port area and shoveling is one of the activities that shouldn't be on the list. Being creative and resourceful, I asked a homeless crack head (he has no fixed address and pretty confident on the latter statement) to shovel and brush off my car for 20$. Sadly, he got a job and was too tired... 2 nights in a row.
The hardest part is laying low. This would have been so much easier if I started treatments in June when people are not sick. I read Facebook for updates on the cold/flu season like some people check the Weather Network. Tonight, two new people updated their Facebook statuses to include the flu and its been that way over the past week. Spies at work inform me as to who is sick. Needless to say I have stayed at home, with a quick outing for groceries and a walk in the morning for a coffee because I make crappy coffee. I did sneak out to see my Godson on Friday evening and I was assured the kids were healthy. We sat in an empty hotel restaurant but I didn't care. I was so happy to get out of the house and wear makeup. I alao have been eating very healthy lately and decided to treat myself to a cone of fries and onion rings. The problem when you cut grease out of your diet for a few weeks, you don't feel so hot when you introduce it back into your diet. I returned to fruit and salads the next day. I never thought I would live to see the day where I prefer a salad over fries.
Vonda told me a cute story - Her mother in law asked how I was doing and if I had lost my hair yet. Vonda told her that I haven't yet but the minute the first clump falls out, I am planning on shaving my head (and in some twisted way, I am curious to see what I look like with no hair.) Anyways, my God son overheard their conversation and said "Auntie Jennifer is really tough, isn't she?"
That's the best compliment I have received in a long time
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