Chemo Week: I Can See the Light!

My last chemotherapy treatment is set for Wednesday morning. I have a checkup with my oncologist at 9:15 a.m. to take a look and make sure everything seems "normal". I guess we'll talk about what happens next, when I come back for checkups or bloodwork, and to tie up loose ends. She said last time that I'll have a CAT scan done to look for any other weird stuff in my body. Not sure if I can spare any more organs so it better come back clean!

Assuming I have chemo tomorrow (they typically get postponed a week), I've decided to give a run-down on how I feel and what medications I have to take throughout the day for every day of chemo week since it's my last one. I wanted to do this in case there was someone out there who was going through this too, or is about to, and was interested in how I deal with it. I plan on being completely honest. I do not want anyone to assume that the medications that I take and how I take them are the right ones for them unless they've spoken to their doctor about it.

Everyone has a different way of coping with pain, and for me, every chemo week is different. I've learned how to lessen some of the effects but I'd be lying if I said I was pain free. The bottom line is most effects have a pill and most pills have an effect. New ailments occur all the time. This is just how I try to survive.

Chemo Brain

Chemo Brain is real.
During the week of chemo
I can't remember

ends of sentences
or whether I've taken pills.
I get quite confused.

It lasts a long time;
they say up to a whole year
after treatment's done.

At least I have one
more thing to blame memory
and bitchiness on.

Sick of Being Bald

Well, my hair started falling out on Mother's Day, 12 days after my first chemo treatment. I was expecting another week before I had to worry about it. I pretended it wasn't happening but a couple of days later there was no pretending. I went to Chop Tops to get my hair cut off short immediately. Very cute haircut, but if I had wanted short hair I would have had short hair, you know?

During my second chemo treatment week the bald spots and constantly picking hair out of my mouth, off my shoulders, and off my baby started getting to me so I had my mom shave it all off. It actually felt really, really good. I don't have to spend time doing my hair and I even got some camo pants to match my new look. It's sort of freeing, really.

I'm about to undergo my third chemo treatment and I'm looking in the mirror wishing I had some hair. I have a wig, various hats, scarves, and could even wear one of Maja's stick-on bows if I felt like it. I feel like I've exhausted all looks that could go with a bald head today. I'm such a girlie-girl and I love to wear frilly dresses, but I end up looking like a teenage boy in a dress. Now, I can appreciate a man in a dress...really, I can. I'm just sick of being GI Jane. Boo!

Oh, and razor burn on your head??? That sucks too.