Saturday, July 23, 2011

Halfway Point

I am halfway through with the chemo treatments. I have been so lucky to have very little nausea. After the first Neulasta shot, I learned to take pain pills for 2-3 days and just sleep the pain away. After that first week my main symptom has been lack of energy. I am not sure most of the time if it is the drugs or just my accepting of being lazy. The doctor says the drugs but I am not so sure during the third week. However, I know that I get tired and sleep more now than before drugs. It will be interesting to see how my energy comes back when I am through with the drugs.

This past week has been the third week (the week before another infusion) and I actually did more yard work that just cutting and trimming the grass. Twice I was out in the garden area pulling weeds and doing toppings. The following day after doing the yard work, I would be so tired I would take at least one nap and go to bed for 9-10 hours. So I have to pace my expectations as well as my work schedule. One the days when I am working in the house and not sleeping. I have started a quilt. I think I may actually get it done about the time I am done with the chemo. I hope to have a garage sale before summer ends to rid my house of all the excess "stuff" I have accumulated. I need the help of two of my children to help with that event so it may not come off and then again it might.

The most interesting event since the last chemo was I had a day of depression where I was a bit overwhelmed that I have 6 1/2 weeks of radiation when I finish this chemo crap, and then until late next May for Herceptin infusions. Twelve months of infusions every three weeks is just so overwhelming when I think about it for a person who never has been sick. But I put it behind me and decided not to think of the whole thing but just one event at a time. Besides the Herceptin isn't supposed to make me sick or tired. Can you imagine being this tired for 12 months! Better than dead, I always say. (That is supposed to be funny!)