A Few Days After

A book I read on chemo suggested to keep records of how you feel/react, so you can report back to your doctor and better treat any symptoms that may arise.  I figured my blog is a good place to do this, since I'm already recording information here, and it serves the purpose of answering questions from family and friends about my condition.

This same book also advised to not try to over-do things, multi-task, or stress too much while on chemo.  I think the author was obviously NOT talking to a 33-year old mother of 3 boys.  Isn't "over-doing, multi-tasking, and stress" part of the job description?   

The day after chemo, I felt pretty well--well enough to get to go out to lunch!  My biggest complaints were with pain/discomfort not even truly related to the chemo itself--at the port site, probably since my surgery only happened 5 days prior and I'd just had a needle with drugs pumped in for 4 hours the day before.  I also had lower back cramps from being a 33 year-old woman who still has menstrual cycles and just happened to have that cycle work *perfectly* with the first round of chemo for breast cancer.  Seriously, what else could happen, right?

I should've known better than to ask.

I had to go back to my doctor's office to get the day-after chemo shot.  Right in the gut.  Not fun.  About an hour after that, I ended up feeling exhausted and a little nauseous, so Stephen took the boys out for dinner.  Both younger boys seemed to be getting sick.

This morning, I had a screaming headache and a sore throat to add to the list of *fun.*  {The headache was probably due, in part, to trying to cut out my daily Dr. Pepper, since the same chemo book suggested it was better to stay away from sodas.}  In addition to me not feeling well, the 2 younger boys were definitely sick, and Kyle said he had a runny nose.  Even Granna needed some cold medicine!

While I went to get my weekly pre-chemo blood work done, I dropped the boys off at their doctor with Granna and Aunt Emmy.  Both have upper respiratory problems/ear infections and are now on amoxicillin.  Didn't we JUST get over being sick?!?  Maybe we'll get it knocked out before I end up getting too sick.  That's *all* I need!

Sick kids in the house, menstrual cramps, and a caffeine detox headache?  Something had to give.  Momma needed a Dr. Pepper!  Soon after, all began to be right in the world again---at least well enough that I wasn't over-doing it or over-stressing too much in my multi-tasking!