Saturday, September 5, 2015

Cycle three...

I started my third cycle of oral chemotherapy medication on Friday after confirming on Thursday that my Potassium had improved. I'm still on the highest dose I can take and I'm able to manage the side effects. This is a good thing because there is a greater chance of the medicine attacking more yuck on this highest dose. I will be on this medication and dose for as long as possible, for as long as it is effective in caging the tiger and for as long as my side effects stay manageable and my body can tolerate it. This is a life long gig. I will have scans in October to see the progress.

As I mentioned, my side effects are manageable and I'm very grateful that I am responding well to the treatment. The side effects are really a small price to pay while the medicine works to help my body destroy the yuck.

That being said, I do still have side effects. They are primarily exhausting and annoying!

I continue to be very tired, both physically and mentally. My brain becomes easily exhausted after short periods of time and I'm trying to take short daily naps to rest. The idealistic me wakes up in the morning ready to conquer the world and then 60 minutes later I need a nap just from thinking about what I'm going to do. My stomach is often funky, not always feeling all that great, but still better than it was during my first cycle, so small progress. I also have to be on top of a possible problem with my feet and hands, where blisters can form, causing major issues; so far it's been minimal. I'm achy quite a bit, but again, it's something I'm able to manage. 

All these side effects are super annoying. It's not fun to feel yucky, or not to have the energy to complete a task without taking breaks in between. Overall, it's most frustrating not to feel healthy! As much as I'd like to ignore the effects of this disease on my body, I can not. The reality is they are there and I need to do what I can to live through the annoyance of it all.

In the meantime, I'm realizing that I can do things in small doses. We can't plan for full day activities, but an hour of something here and there can work and it's good for the soul for sure.









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