Chemo Class

I expected to be writing a post about how freaked out I am because I had my chemotherapy "lesson" today.  I was sure that I was going to hear all the facts and figures about what to expect and leave spinning.  That, however, is not the case!  Yay me!  =)

I had some idea in my head that chemotherapy in and of itself was going to be somehow painful.  As in while I sit there with poison coursing through my veins I would feel it.  Turns out, I shouldn't!  So that's good news.  The rest of the lesson was about what I expected.  Most likely my hair will fall out.  My symptoms (the worst of them) should be fatigue and possibly nausea for a couple of days post treatment.  I also may experience some bone and joint pain, and possibly neuropathy (pain, tingling and numbness in my extremities), but that is more likely during the second half of treatment when I'm on a different drug.

Anyhow I know it isn't going to be a walk in the park by any means, but I at least feel like I can handle whats to come.  Most of the symptoms that I'm expecting are really similar to the yucky parts of pregnancy, and I know what that is like.  The only difference is that I don't have a happy event to look forward to at the end- only the absence of a negative event.  I'll take it. =)

So my schedule is as follows- labs on Sunday to check my blood counts, chemo on Monday for 2 hours, and a visit with my doctor on the same day.  This will happen every other week for 8 weeks (4 total treatments).  Then I switch to a different drug, following the same routine for another 8 weeks.  This is all assuming that my blood counts stay high enough (which I have faith that they will because we will make a concerted effort using the Cancer Fighting Kitchen to use food items to help with that).  If for some reason my blood counts came back too low, they could delay treatment for a couple of days or a week until the counts get back up.  The main issue is that if the White Blood Cells are low, I am at high risk for infection (dangerously high).  If the Red Blood Cells are low I might need a transfusion.  If my Platelets are low, it puts me at risk of bleeding (since this is the clotting agent).

There is your update from Chemo class! =)  I ask again to please send me good ju ju on Monday at 8:30 am.  See the Chemo attacking the cancer cells, and not my body.  See my body directing the chemicals to the invasive cells and protecting the rest of my cells.  See the tumor shrinking away to nothing.

I did think of one other thing that people who want to help could do for me.  If you knit or sew or crochet, I will need soft (not itchy- probably just cotton) hats for when my hair falls out.  If you don't do those things yourself, but you happen to see something out, let me know so I can seek it out.  Most of the hats I have are slightly itchy knit caps for cold weather.  I figure I will be wearing a lot of hats around the house once my hair falls out.  I'll get a wig too I'm sure for more public situations, but those can get pretty itchy and hot, so I know I'll want options (and am just not a scarf girl).  =)

Thank you all so much for the love and support you have offered me.  It means more than I can express.  I am definitely a very lucky person to have such an amazing community surrounding me. =)  Silver lining right?