The Start of Chemo

"And whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the son.  You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it."  - John  14:13-14

Chemo.  I'm learning how foreign of a concept it really is.  Most people know that people undergoing chemotherapy will more than likely feel "sick", lose their hair, and become extremely tired.  While for the most part, this is all true. But for everyone, it's so different.  The process of chemo is rather strange as well.  

I've had a lot of people ask me what it's like to get chemo, how long are the treatments, and how do I feel?  While I cannot answer for everyone, as chemo treatments all range in time, type, and side effects based on your diagnosis, I can give you an inside view of what's it been like for me.  

I have started receiving treatments every two weeks and I've completed the first three of four rounds of chemo and then will move to different drugs that will be administered once every week for 12 weeks total.  These first rounds have been fairly rough, but the doctors say I am handling the side effects extremely well.  My blood work has been coming back 100% normal and once the drugs are "out" of my system I feel completely normal as well.   My energy returns and the side effects dissipate.   

My first round wasn't too bad.  I became extremely tired for two solid days, food tasted weird, eating was extremely difficult, I felt ill but I never became ill, and my brain felt "fuzzy".  This lasted for around 5-6 days, and on day 7 I felt completely "normal" again.  The second round wasn't as "easy" as the first round.  I was extremely tired, my head felt like there was a million blisters from my dying hair follicles, my stomach hurt (not just nauseous), and my entire body hurt from the white blood cell booster shot.  I finally buzzed my head as it helped ease the pain from my swollen hair follicles, and then once my hair started falling out in handfuls, I shaved it off.  Now I have a nice shinny head  - it's so soft and smooth. :) 

Round three, by this point it's a mental struggle to check yourself in knowing that the drugs you're about to get are going to cause you to feel miserable for the next week.  My day usually starts around 7:00 am when I arrive at the hospital.  First, it's blood work, then a check-in with the oncologist.  After that you walk yourself into the chemo room where there is about 60 chairs in a giant room, each with their own IV machine.  I get a giant bag of saline pumped in me to help me stay hydrated, two bags of anti-nausea drugs, two tubes of red chemo drugs (I have to suck on ice while these are administered to help keep my mouth from peeling and blistering from the drugs), then after that I get one more clear bag of another chemo drug. I finally finish around 2:00 pm.

I typically leave treatments feeling pretty normal for the rest of the day and the day following until I get my nuelasta shot (the white blood cell booster shot). After that the body aches begin, my head feels fuzzy, my energy drained, appetite gone, stomach is upset, hot flashes as my ovaries are beginning to die, blurred vision from the steroids, headaches, and other things.  It's not as bad as it seems, and yet it's worse than it seems all at the same time.

The thing I miss the most though are my nose hairs.  You don't realize why God gave those suckers to you until their gone, and my nose hasn't stopped running for the last five weeks.  In all of this though, I've still been able to continue to work.  The Lord blessed me with a job that has flexible working hours, and for this I am so grateful.  Charlie and I have continued to be blessed with friends and family that remain helpful in so many ways.  I say this every time, but everyone has been amazing and we couldn't do this without them!  So thank you!!!!!

Through all of this though, my heart has been softened again. Me heart had grown cold from an old job, life events, and other things.   But the goodness that has been poured  out by so many people, people we don't even know, makes you believe there really is more good in the world than evil some times.  We have been so blessed, it's nearly impossible to be depressed or down about any of this.  :) 

What you can do: 

• Please continue to pray that the side effects are minimal, specifically that my eyes remain un- effected from the steroids.  My vision is extremely important to me.  
• For my mental and spiritual strength.  Keep these strong during the long and difficult moments.
• And for a blessing in the hundreds of people who have reached out and helped Charlie and I during this process.  They are all unbelievable!