Monday 24 June 2019
The last day of cycle 1, and it turned out to be a very good active day for me!
I woke up feeling pretty good. I had a nine o’clock appointment, so I walked the girls to school and then went off to my that. When I got home, I was still feeling pretty good so I cleaned up the kitchen, put on some washing and changed the bedding in our seven-year-old’s room in preparation for a guest arriving. Then I dealt with a chair that needed adjusting.
I was still feeling quite good and felt that I had a fair bit of energy, so I drove the car to the local recycling centre to drop off some plastics and cartons (which are not collected by the council at present). Then I visited Homebase for some DIY bits and pieces and got in some grocery shopping at Sainsbury’s.
When I got home, I was still on a roll, so I put a new blade on our lawnmower (the old one was no longer sharp and quite bent out of shape), and I mowed the back lawn (not including the back end of the garden where we have our vegetable beds and where the chicken lives).
Our friend Lee, who lives near Brighton, arrived shortly after. She had come to stay and look after the girls for the next few days while I would be in hospital and Pia would be spending more time with me. It was so great to see her and wonderful that she was able to come and help out.
Pia and I had booked a parent teacher interview at school, so we went along to that. I was amazed that I’d been managing so well all day, especially after having been so tired the previous couple of days. When we got home, I put our youngest daughter to bed and then went out to water the garden. I’d gotten through so much and done so well, but I was now ready for bed myself. This had been by far the best day I’d had since starting chemo.
Cycle 1 was complete. Here are a few highlights:
– I’d experienced a lot of fatigue
– I’d had moments of feeling unstable on my feet
– I’d sometimes felt delirious
– I’d had some mild headaches, but nothing that I felt required medication
– I’d had fevers on days 7 and 9 of the cycle, requiring one hospitalisation
– I’d lost my voice somewhat on days 4-5
– I’d managed to pull off a DJ set on day 6, despite feeling quite out of it
– I’d experienced a little mild tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, but never for more than 10-15 seconds at a time
– I’d had a heavy feeling in my chest after receiving Bleomycin in my day chemo sessions, but this didn’t impact on breathing
– I’d started getting stinging in my urethra about a week after having finished my inpatient stay and this has persisted since
– I started experiencing hair loss on day 14, which escalated until day 18, at which point I cut it all off
– I’d maintained a good appetite, but was craving more starchy carbs than usual
– I didn’t notice any changes in my ability to taste foods
– I hadn’t had any specific pain or nausea, but I did take Metoclopramide if I ever had a sick feeling around my stomach
I think I’d managed the cycle rather well considering all of the potential side effects that I’d not experienced. My oncologist had told me on Friday that I might even find cycle 2 easier to manage. Well, we shall see!
A Journey Through Cancer 