#16 The New "Normal"
A few curve balls
Sonya M.
3 min read
Well well well.....look who finally decided to show up again! Yes, it's me. It's been a minute or so since my last post. Time flies when you're having "fun". Hard to believe it was late July and here we are in September.
So what's been happening I hear you ask? Weekly chemo has been happening and with that has come a few unexpected treasurers.
The first of my weekly chemo went off without a hitch, no reaction, smooth and easy. I strutted out of there like, "look at me go, chemo ain't got nothin' on me". Meanwhile chemo was quietly plotting and whispering "let her cook, she has NO idea. By Monday the joint and bone pain hit. Walking became a shuffle and by shuffle I mean more of a hobble, At times my 'style' of 'walking' could be likened to the stanky leg re-imagined just without any rhythm, just odd really.
Off to see my oncologist that Wednesday and I shared about the joint and bone pain and was hoping for a "that's rare and likely a one off", nope, it's a thing annnd it's about 5 - 10% that it becomes quite intense! Blessed or what!! At least now I knew what to expect.
I changed chemo to Mondays so that if 'stanky leg' made an appearance then I had Friday and the weekend to get through it, just in time for chemo again on the Monday!
Monday 3rd August and off to chemo. First challenge was getting the canula in. As time has gone on, my veins are playing hide n seek. Multiple attempts by different nurses to get that canula sorted and finally on the 4th go and half a packet of bandaids later, success! Then it happened [cue dramatic music]. I was given the buzzer and told to press that sucker if I experienced anything or needed something.
The REACTION!! Just 21ml into treatment and suddenly I was tight in the chest, breathing became difficult and my face felt like it was going to explode. I held my thumb on that button and suddenly half the world was there. Multiple nurses, oxygen came out, another calling my oncologist, someone else stopping the IV, blood pressure cuff on and me desperately focussing on my breathing and trying not panic.
So what should have been around 2 hours turned into nearly 5. After everything settled down, which took only about 10 minutes and then wait another half hour before they dosed me up on steroids and Phenergan to ward off another reaction. So we needed to wait a half hour for that to kick in. Then came the struggle of staying awake. Finally we got there. We started at 12.30pm and we were walking out the door at 5.40pm BUT we got there.
The following Monday I received the steroids and Phenergan before chemo kicked off in an effort to keep any reaction at bay. Not to be. This time, just 18ml in and BOOM! Reaction. It was basically a carbon copy of the week before and would be the case in the weeks to follow. But we always get there.
Just 6 weeks of chemo to go! 6 weeks until my hair, brows and lashes start to grow back. 6 weeks of bone and joint pain....oh and the latest is my hands. Very sensitive and almost a burning sensation BUT again, the new normal.
There have certainly been a few moments where I have just said "I am soooo over this...." but they were just that, moments and generally when I was feeling pretty ordinary. So again, I lean in to it, allow myself a 5 minute pity party and then we are off and running again.
My last day of chemo, all going well will be 19th October - and yes I am absolutely counting down the weeks!! After that a 4 week break to allow my body to recover and then surgery.
The best thing though, chemo is doing its job! That very noticeable lump that I discovered back in March can barely be felt!! WINNING!!