Chemotherapy is no joke. You listen to the doctors and read as much as you can about the treatment you will receive, but I can tell you NOTHING will prepare you for how it makes you feel. The "yuck" feeling is similar to morning sickness. It's a 24/7 constant queasiness that is only temporarily abated by eating or drinking something, then you're right back to feeling yucky. The bad taste in my mouth is probably my biggest complaint. The nausea was sort of controlled by phenergan, but I wouldn't say it made it better. A call to the doctor resulted in two new prescriptions... a new nausea drug and a steroid.
I had to go back to the oncology office today for a Neulasta shot. If you don't know what that is, it's a painful shot in the arm that will boost your white blood cells. Unfortunately it can also cause severe bone pain. Thankfully in my hours and hours of research, I came across a bunch of knowledgeable women on the www.breastcancer.org message boards, and they mentioned taking Claritin to ward off the bone pain. What an allergy medicine does to prevent bone pain is beyond me, but I've taken it and have NO aches or pains. I'm declaring success!
Hubby took the kids to the first home high school football game, leaving me to my own devices tonight. I had briefly entertained the idea of going, since I wasn't feeling too badly, but it's a good thing I didn't go. I ended up sacked out on the couch before 9pm with a 99.6 fever. Not a big deal, except in the world of a cancer patient, a fever of 100.5 is a MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Needless to say I warily watched the thermometer every time I checked my temp, and thankfully that's as high as it went. I really didn't want to have to make two calls to my oncologist on my first day after chemo!
No bone pain and no more throwing up - I declare that my success from day 2!
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