Erev Round Two

This is the eve of my second treatment. I feel different now about chemo. On the eve of my first treatment, I was very, very eager to start chemotherapy. I was in lots of pain due to the large tumor in my liver. I was short of breath and experiencing night sweats. Now, on the eve of my second treatment, I am no longer suffering from the tumor. I have been very tired, I have gotten sick a few times, I am losing my hair, but that is about it. Not too bad.

As I face the next round of treatment, I worry that some of the other side effects of chemo will start catching up with me. I came home from my one-on-one session about the side effects of chemo with a large PowerPoint deck detailing the effects of chemo. Some of the things I might be facing include anemia (low red blood cell count); neutropenia (low white blood cell count); thrombocytopenia (low platelet count); stomatitis (sores in the mouth); peripheral neuropathy (numbness in the hands and feet); and my favorite, chemobrain (mental confusion or decreased mental clarity). Everyone is different. Perhaps I will be spared these other side effects.

David and my mom will be my two chemo sitters again this time. If this time is like the first time, I will be on a steroid high for 5 days. On the 4th day, my bones will hurt because of the Neulasta shot that I will get on Saturday that keeps my white and red blood cell count up. On Wednesday, I will be off of steroids and crash into heavy fatigue that will continue until I go into round three of chemo, which is scheduled for December 21.