So far, so good. I am not suffering from any side effects yet, and I am told I won't for at least a week, maybe longer. In the meantime, I am trying to do a few things for myself and for Richard--like getting up in the morning with the animals, making coffee and delivering it to him for a change!, fixing meals, etc. I will be feeling fatigued soon enough, (it's a pretty universal side effect) so I might as well enjoy my improved energy levels now.
The radiation routine goes like this. I park, walk into the office and scan my appointment card under a hand held laser to let the techs know I've arrived. I take myself to the changing room, put on a gown, and head to the radiation waiting area. Hardly a minute goes by before one of the techs comes to collect me.
They walk me back to the radiation room, I strip off my gown, and lay on the table. Same position, every time.
Before radiation even begins, the docs tell you about these tattoos you will get, meant to guide the radioactive beams on your body. Hmm. Well, I did get some tattoos. But they are nothing compared to my new chest markings. Markings made with permanent black marker. Lines, boxes, dots, covered with clear tape. I look a little like a puzzle.
"Don't wash these off!" they say.
"Ok," I say. "For how long?"
Blink. Blink....
I can see they don't know how to put this gently. So I wager a guess. "Seven weeks, or so?"
The techs smile. "They might fade."
Good, I think to myself.
"Then we will redraw them," they say cheerfully.
Oh, well. The marking extend under my arms and up to my collar bones. I am thinking of drawing a flower on the top of the most visible line, the one that shows no matter what shirt I have on unless it's a turtle neck, and as it's 85 in the shade these days, I'm not likely to wear one of those any time soon!
The black marker is a small inconvenience at this point. After losing my hair, and eyelashes, and gaining weight, and undergoing surgery and having to give up most normal activities, a little marker showing through my clothes is no big deal. On a happier note, the reverse of some of the trials I mention is so encouraging. I am tickled to have hair on my head, eyelashes to which I can actually apply mascara (though I will probably continue to wear my false eyelashes since I have become an expert at applying them!), and decent looking finger nails. Best of all, I am happy that I have six weeks of treatment left, and hopefully no more for the rest of my life.
One bit of info for any of you who know someone who is or will undergo chemo--specifically the sort that leads to neuropathy. I underwent chemotherapy for six months. The last three months I had a once a week dose of Pacitaxil (not sure of the spelling). I took B6 and a multi B vitamin to prevent long term nerve damage which can result from neuropathy--a side effect of the chemo. This is where a person can't feel her fingers and toes, or at least that is how the nerve damage was described to me. I got a bit of that toward the end of my therapy, and the docs backed off on the dose. Then chemo was over, and I thought that was the end of it, especially since i was told I no longer needed to keep up with my B vitamins.
A few weeks ago, I began to notice that my feet hurt when I got up from sitting, reclining, or lying, even if I'd only been off my feet for five minutes or so. It was a pain that I dismissed at first, as nothing more than an old age ache, but it kept getting worse. I found myself stumbling around like Frankenstein, unable to really use my feet when I stood, until I'd moved around for several seconds. At night, the pain extended to my hips and hands and elbows. Eventually, I could not find a comfortable position while resting--even on Frank's temperpedic!
I knew these were not normal aches and pains, (and may I say at this point I trust my instincts when it comes to my body, since my instincts probably saved my arse this go round.) so I looked it up--God love Google. "Feet hurt after chemo," I typed. I was hoping not to find I had developed arthritis after all this, and thought chemo was a good starting place. Guess what? It's neuropathy. Evidently, neuropathy is not just about numb fingers and toes, and apparently, the symptoms peak 3-5 months after the last dose of chemo--something I was completely unaware of. My last dose was February 13th, which puts me two months out. Mystery solved. Hopefully this will shed some light on this phenomena for some other poor sot wondering what in the hell has happened to her feet now that her chemo is in the rear view mirror!
That's all the news fit to report for now!
Have a wonderful rest-of-your week. Muah!
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