You can only be so prepared for chemotherapy. I’ve talked to friends, researched, and asked professionals what to expect, but the truth is everyone reacts differently and has different side effects. For me, the chemotherapy nausea was not bad, except the first day. I had a feeling of uneasiness for a few days and food helped that subside. I was not ready for the fatigue. That lethargy lasted for 3-4 days and was so intense that it made it difficult to even watch tv. Ever been so exhausted that paying attention to a show was too much? I also did not know that chest pain would be a side effect either. The Adriamycin makes the veins in the chest throb. It hurt to take a deep breath for days. That made it more difficult to shuffle around the house, especially with the rapid heartbeat caused by the steroids. I went medication free by Sunday. I felt like the side effects from those were worse than anything else I was experiencing.
By Monday, the bone pain started from the Neulasta shot. This white blood booster shot makes for bone marrow go into hyper production. Thus causing pain. The pain on Monday and Tuesday was only in the upper body and felt like I had a body bruise. It hurt to touch my skin, like a bruise, except all over the upper body. Taking a shower was litterally so painful, I could hardly wash.
Thursday morning, I woke up feeling mentally back to normal. I felt so much better, with the exception of immense back pain. The pain was intense at times, like extreme spasms. We went for a walk for the first time and it felt glorious to see the sunshine. I muscled though the pain and just kept my body moving.
Friday was not much different; the back spasms were drastically reduced and I was feeling more like me! We went for another walk around the neighborhood and I enjoyed feeling the breeze.
The weekend was beautiful! The weather was perfect for a picnic on Saturday. We sat outside under a little shade and we had lunch. The kids played in the grass and threw tiny pebbles. Kaiah, Kirklyn and I made stained glass sidewalk chalk on Sunday and also, AJ shaved his head in my honor!
Before I knew it, the weekend was over and I found my mind wandering to the upcoming infusion on Thursday. I just keep reminding myself, it’s all worth it and it will be over soon. Plus, first I have to celebrate my birthday Tuesday and shave my head Wednesday, so I have plenty to do before hand anyway!