Week Five of Chemotherapy
Well, today I am getting my sixth round of chemotherapy and will be officially halfway through chemotherapy! I can’t believe I am already at round six. Only three weeks ago I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make it through treatment, and here I am halfway there. Week five was another rough one, but it started out well. My blood work explains why I’ve been super tired the last three days and I suppose it isn’t my imagination afterall.
The day of treatment went like usual and I was even able to stay up late enough to record the first episode in a series of podcasts that I’m doing for an ultra-running podcast based out of California. We recorded at eight at night and despite being pretty groggy by then, I feel good about how things went. Friday morning I was able to get through class and didn’t have to take any breaks during the three hours of instruction and discussion. By Friday night, I was feeling the steroids wear off, however I went shopping with my husband and was able to get through grocery shopping as well as stops at Target and Walmart.
Now that COVID is getting bad again, I won’t be going to stores anymore if I can help it. Friday was the first time in quite a long time that I’ve gone to a store that wasn’t the local gas station. I’m trying really hard to limit my interactions with people, and am basically self-quarantining besides going hiking or out for walks. The only direct contact I have with people besides stopping at the gas station once a week, is seeing my mom for my rides to chemotherapy. I want to get through treatment without any glitches and I’m taking this very seriously.
Saturday and Sunday, my usual two yucky days, were moderately yucky. Saturday I spent most of the day laying around and didn’t feel completely terrible. I got in a short walk and closed out my fifth week of treatment meeting my goal of exercising five days a week through chemo. Sunday wasn’t too bad either and I was really excited that I got through the weekend without feeling majorly awful. The cycle prior to this one was rough and I was kind of nervous that I would feel bad again.
Monday, however, through me for a loop. I woke up at around eight, and went right back to sleep until eleven-thirty. I felt groggy and tired and off all day. It can be really frustrating when your brain is rebelling against you. I want to be clear-minded, but I can’t force my brain to work well and forcing it to do anything sometimes just exacerbates the fog. Knowing that I would be getting chemo a day early this week made things a little more stressful. I only had so many days to get a hike in and I was determined to do that, even if it meant a short one on a local mountain.
Thankfully on Tuesday I also got the most amazing gift from my hiking community. I woke up to a video compilation of different members of the hiking community wishing me well, saying how inspirational I am, and I am even going to get a custom made Kula cloth with a graphic on it that was designed by my friend Kristen. It really gave me the motivation to push myself and I ended up getting out and hiking. Despite Monday being a wash, I felt really good about getting in a hike Tuesday and even got up early this morning to get in a workout before chemo.
It all goes back to the whole finite amount of energy and brain power concept. I only have so much of each, and if I use too much on one thing, then I’m not going to be able to come up with more. My well of mental and physical energy is very low and I’m at the point where I’m using a spoon to scrape the bottom just to get through the last two weeks of grad school. Speaking of grad school, I have only two more classes left and the only assignment that is due is my final paper. I’ve started the research portion of it, I just need to sit down and start working on the paper itself. It’s not like me to put off my school work to the last minute, but I’m just not motivated to do the work right now. I suppose I better get motivated since time is running out.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I’m excited for a day of rest, food, and perhaps The Office. I may be getting chemo a day early this round, but that means I get an extra day added between round six and seven. I’ve also been given the OK to not get Benadryl as part of my pre-meds because I’m handling the treatment so well and I’m very thankful for that because I don’t like Benadryl. One more thing that happened this week, I didn’t get my period. Apparently this is normal during chemo. It just makes me realize that perhaps this stuff they’re giving me really is doing something to me. My blood counts are also lower this week and that also explains why I felt kind of extra groggy all week. Overall, though, I’m still very thankful that my side effects have been tolerable and that I’m now officially halfway done treatment.
