3rd Chemo

Good day all, sorry for the long wait between posts.  I had my third treatment on July 14. 

3 down!  How u like that wig?  Cute colors, feels like me =)

There really needs to be a better word than 'treatment' because it really is no treat.  This one really put me down a bit longer than the other 2.  I had been so hopeful feeling so good following the 2nd treatment, but this one was a bit harder.  I believe that maybe the drugs are starting to build up in my system and thus it is taking longer for me to recover?  Not quite sure, I'll ask on this Thursday when I go in again.
So, as I mentioned before, the chemo is systemic (it goes through the whole body, not localized) and an early side effect is Thrush, a flare up of a fungus called Candida, which we all have a little bit of in our mouths, but the chemo causes it to really go out of whack.  There is a diet I tried to keep it at bay...no gluten (pasta, potatoes), fruit, sugar, sweetener, dairy (Nooooo!!!)).  So I am super hungry usually following treatment and I decided to go for a salad...didn't have any protein, which was probably a mistake.  As usual, I was super tired and was pretty nauseous that evening, enough to take some of the anti-nausea meds they had given me on week 1, Compazine and Ativan.   I guess they helped.  Anyway, I don't think the salad was a good idea, given that the thought of roasted red peppers and hearts of palm make me want to...well, you know :-S  I'm going to try rice milk and rice cereal this time and see how that goes.
So, at any rate I was really not feeling my best again until about the following Wednesday, whereas after the previous treatments I was pretty much okay by Monday.  I had my blood work done on Thursday and my WBC's (white blood cells) were good, but this time my Red's were off the low end of the spectrum.  That Neulasta shot I get is just for the whites.  Hopefully, I won't need the shot for the RBC's, as I hear that is a stinger.  A low RBC count can cause fatigue, weakness, headache, dizzy or lightheaded-ness.  I was experiencing fatigue and was a bit lightheaded at times.

Oh, a little something about the phenomenon of 'chemo brain'.  I was a bit forgetful to begin with, but I have noticed a change in really struggling to find a word sometimes, or while speaking, in the middle of a sentence, completely forget where I was going with it.  Again, I've done that before, but I notice it is happening more frequently now.  I can recover and find words and thoughts again, but it takes a minute.  It's a bit disconcerting, but hopefully it doesn't get any worse.  Also, my typing has gone down hill quite a bit, probably a combination of the neuropathy and the chemo brain.
So again, I'll say I am thankful and blessed as the side effects I have experienced have been completely normal and the severity of them is pretty mild.

On the ME side of things, that don't include cancer, it's peach time out at McConnells' Farm in Independence Twp, PA.  I'll stake my big toe on the fact that you have never had a better peach than that from my dad's family's farm.  So if you can, get out there and enjoy, I know I am (candida be damned, there are important things in life)!  Also, have enjoyed 2 screenings of the last Harry Potter movie with good friends Kirsten and Patty, as well as Horrible Bosses with my buddy Christy.  Also, a Happy Birthday to my sweet cousin Ashley and my love, Brandon.  Lots of good things going on, and I am thankful for them all.  And all of you, my wonderful readers and cheerleaders.  I get a follow up scan after the next chemo...not sure if it will be that day...probably the week following.  I'll keep you posted =)  Hodge, we're coming for you!!