June 24th 2019 - You'd think after have multiple rounds of chemotherapy treatment under my belt at the age of 16 and 33, I'd be aware of what is coming, what the effects are and how I'm going to feel after treatments. Wrong. It's always something different, always the unknown, I never know what to expect, especially after the first time receive a new "cocktail". This new round, sadly did not disappoint.
The doctor did explain to me that the Cisplatin drug was very harsh on my body and there possibly could be extreme side effects - to name a few; permanent numbness and tingling in fingers and toes, kidney failure and deafness. Not to mention the intense flue like symptoms that will come along with it, and the given lack of energy and tiredness. The Gemcitabine, not so bad...just flu like symptoms and tiredness. Great....more naps (insert eyeroll here).
Now, don't get me wrong here, I'm really not vain in anyway...and I know it's not a HUGE deal....but I just started to get my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes back!!! Of course I had to ask, "Will I lose my hair again?"
With both drugs there is only a 30% chance of hair loss of thinning. Not what I was hoping to hear, but it's better to hear those numbers then a 100% yes. I guess it will be what it will be - I've dealt with it twice already, I'll do it again if I have too!
I know that if this is going to happen it's going to happen after the first round, into the second round - it'll be fast, only time will tell.
After my first round of the new cocktail I felt tired, I wanted to stay in bed all day.. My energy was gone, taste buds were non existent and my appetite was shot, and this was only into the second day post chemo - I didn't have a good feeling about this, something was off big time.
I hadn't felt this way so quickly after treatment in the past rounds. Oh sure I didn't feel 100% after them, but this, this was different.
Let's get something out of the way here, I'm not going to lie; I'm a very stubborn person and I've been in and out of hospitals a lot in my lifetime thus far, and I've seen enough doctors that I should probably start a rewards program or something?! The last thing I think about is going to see the doctors or head to the emerge... it's never on my radar.
Alright... back to not feeling the best.
Like I said I was tired, in pain and I had no energy at all - leaving bed seemed like an impossible task, honestly to go to the bathroom I was huffing and puffing. Because I had no appetite this didn't mix with the lack of energy very well either.
I had stayed in bed for 5 days straight...trying to keep hydrated as best as I could, but sleep won a lot of the time.
As a chemo patient it's very important that you do not spike a fever and it should be monitored multiple times a day after receiving treatment, it's like a first rule of thumb. I do follow it of course (as stubborn as I am), but how do you check it when you are sleeping all the time? This is where mom steps in; on goes the nurses hat as soon as she gets home from an out of town conference. 33 turning 34 and I can 100% say my mom is my saviour throughout this battle - I don't know what I would do without her, still.
By now, it has been 5 days post chemotherapy treatment and I have spiked a fever; 39.4. As much as I HATE the emergency room, I know I have to go, this literally could be life or death.
- A little off track, but let me tell you why I know a fever is horrible and how important it is to seek help right away.
When I was 16 years old I was receiving treatment in London Ontario and there it was explained that if I spiked a fever at all how important it was to get to London's emergency room right away.... well guess who spiked a fever in the dead of the night? Yup, it was time to go, time to make the drive to London.
By the time we go there I was on fire and was taken in right away and hooked up to machines and IV's.... to be honest I don't even know half the stuff that went on I was in and out of consciousness - I do remember the big panic with the nurses and doctors however.
It's a good thing we did go to London that night and I didn't put up a fight, it really was all about life and death with that fever. Something myself or my parents will never forget. -
At the emerge here in Sarnia, I had blood work done right away and found out I was completely dehydrated and my kidney function was struggling. I was admitted for hydration right away, not knowing when I was able to leave the hospital. Ugh...my worst nightmare.
Because I was in the hospital and my body just wasn't cooperating yet again, I was unable to do my Day 8, second half of my first round of my treatment plan.
I was devastated, I was off track with the plan... what if this causes a problem, what if the results of the CT scan show something worse because I'm not getting the proper treatment now. What if, what if what if - immediately I start to worry, can this GOD DAMN CANCER get any worse?
4 days of being admitted to Bluewater Health after constant hydration and monitoring I was finally able to go home. I hadn't spiked a fever, I had some energy back and I wasn't as tired, best of all my blood counts were coming back up and my kidney function was getting back on track.
This all happened after one treatment of the new "cocktail", I really wasn't looking forward to the next ones lined up if this is how I was going to be feeling after. But onwards we go....
Before round two started I had to make a decision; was I going to stick with the same treatment plan, change chemo drugs or reduce the amount of chemo I was receiving. It might seem like it would have been a hard decision for me... but it wasn't - I wanted to stay on track, we were moving forward no matter what. I'll live with the side effects that come with it, I just wasn't ready to take the risk to change the treatment plan, especially now knowing it was spreading.
It had been suggested by my oncologist to receiving hydration starting the next day after chemotherapy for 3 days - 1 day in the hospital and 2 days at home over the weekend.... this I can handle. Lets see if it makes a difference on how I will feel, I'd rather this then being out for 9 days.
It worked! Round 2, day 1 completed with 3 days of post hydration and I was feeling great. Well great in comparison to what I felt like last time. We've decided that after day 1 of treatment I will always receive 3 days of hydration.
I'm feeling well enough to make it to day 8 of treatment, and my blood counts are still up. Things are starting to look up.
After round 2, I felt much better, I was able to get out and do things outside in the backyard, enjoy the "nice" weather (when its been around). My energy was so so and it proved that depending on what the activity was, naps are still high up on the to do list... but I've got to listen to my body.
Positive Note: I accepted the help that was offered to make the post chemotherapy effects not nearly as bad and it worked.