Chemo Infusion #1

Sunday, August 25, 2024. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I consider myself lucky that there are only 4 of them. HOWEVER, this probably goes without saying that any amount of chemo absolutely sucks. And since everyone responds differently, I will always approach it with a positive attitude. And, because everyone reponds differently, I will share my experience. The good, the bad, the ugly. That's why I'm here, right?

My first chemo was on Tuesday, August 20th. I'm almost 1 week in. The type of chemotherapy recommended by 2 different Oncologists (Allina & Mayo) was TC Chemotherapy which is a pretty common regimen for localized breast cancer requiring chemo such as mine. The "T" stands for Taxotere and the "C" stands for Cytoxan. Two different chemo meds. Taxotere is the one that causes possible hair loss and neuropathy and lasts about an hour and Cytoxan for another 30 minutes. However, because of the blood draws/lab work, meeting with the oncologist, all of the education and prep, etc, I was there for about 4 hours.

My boys were with me - Jon and Eddie. Jon dropped us off and went to park the car and Eddie and I immediately went to the lab for my blood draw. When I was ushered back into the lobby, Jon was there waiting and so was Denice!! It was such a sweet surprise! She had mentioned she would be coming but it was weeks earlier and I completely forgot. (She knew I forgot too and didn't mention it again in order for it to be a surprise - which was a good call. It brightened my day).

When I was finally all hooked up for my first round of Taxotere, I first had to wrap my hands and feet in cold packs to avoid neuropathy (recommended) and I bought a cold cap off of Amazon to hopefully keep my hair from falling out. Worth a shot! It was only around $100 so I took a chance. Why not? Well ... I froze my ass off. What did I expect? The cold cap didn't feel cold enough but my hands and feet were burning cold. I had to take breaks here and there which we timed. As a distraction, Eddie and Denice took turns reading to me and it helped a lot. I could do nothing but sit there with my oversized ice mittens. When that round was done, it was a relief to lose the cold packs and relax a little. After 30 more minutes, the Cytoxan was done and we were able to move on with our day. I should have gotten pics but I completely forgot! Too distracted!

It's normal to feel ok that first day - and even the second day. After the infusion, we took Eddie to the High School for his school pics, picked up some salads and headed home. I was pretty dang productive! I even fit in some yoga!

The day after chemo, I felt pretty decent as well. I went to the plastic surgeon for my final fill, and headed to the office for a few appointments. It was so wonderful to see Kristy and Jessica! First time seeing them since before Sedona and they were a sight for sore eyes. We did some catching up and I headed home to catch up on work there. I got another yoga session in too. Thank you Apple Fitness.

Day 3 - so Thursday - I started to feel off. The best word I had to describe it is "ishy". So specific, right? Here's what it was: dizziness, fatigue, body aches and a massive migraine. So, yeah, ishy. I was rendered useless. I did some things here and there but for the most part, I could do nothing. It hurt to look at a phone, computer, or tv. It even hurt to move. I was frustrated, but it was only 1 day, and I had to know things wouldn't be perfect. But, it's always frustrating to feel like shit and not be able to do the things you want to do. Frustration level: 6/10

Day 4 - Friday - Another ishy day. I had some virtual visits scheduled and my hope was to put in a few hours of work afterwards. That did not happen. Again, no screens, no stamina. And I figured I'd better rest since we had plans to go to the fair on Saturday with tickets to see Nate Bergatze (comedian) that I had purchased several months ago. And I really wanted to go. So, rest, rest and more rest. Frustration level: 8/10

Day 5 - Saturday - I literally layed around for as long as I possibly could. We were planning to pick up Cole and Leah at their mom's by 2:30pm so I didn't even get in the shower until after 1pm. The shower and the pending plans helped me perk up a little so I was encouraged. I also rented a scooter from Hometown Mobility at the Fair. I didn't want to slow anyone down! Although, if you've been to the fair, the scooters tend to slow things down anyway. For a while there, my frustration level was a solid 10/10. No one gives a hoot about the scooters (and I'm sure I was the same as a fairgoer on foot in the past). I didn't want to be in that damn scooter! But I didn't want to miss out on the fun either. We made the best of it and although I still felt ishy, the adrenaline of the fair, being with my loves, the very hilarious show, all kept me going. I don't even remember falling asleep when I was finally home in bed.

Day 6 - Sunday - today! I slept until noon. Then, until 5pm, then until 7pm. I'm barely functioning. I am, however, looking at a computer screen, so that's progress, right? I have 2 appts at the office tomorrow afternoon. I'll make it - fingers crossed. I haven't lost any hair yet, so that's cool.

We'll see what the week brings! I have some things I'd like to do with my boy before he goes back to school. Next infusion: Tuesday, September 10th.

Here's how the school pic turned out :) Eddie - Grade 9