Week Two Chemotherapy
It feels like I just sat down to type up my week on chemotherapy post (probably because I did just type it up) and here I am writing up a summary of week two. On the bad days it’s like time is crawling but at the same time I can’t believe I’ve already been through two treatments, with my third tomorrow morning. Week one was pretty uneventful in terms of side effects and I was able to do some form of physical activity five out of the seven days that first week. This week, I not only did something six out of seven days, I went on a “real” hike on day six and it was such a moral booster.
Week Two Summary
Treatment day (day one) was much shorter this round. I only had to be at the doctors for three and a half hours instead of six, and with a lot of schoolwork to keep me busy, the three hours went by in a blink of an eye. They give you Benadryl every time you get chemo and this is probably my biggest complaint about infusion day. I don’t like how Benadryl makes me tired and foggy so I asked my PA to lower my dose and he is halving it for tomorrow’s treatment. I always feel sort of drained after treatment, so I’m hoping tomorrow I can push through the fog and get in a walk afterwards so I can take the weekend off from exercise.
The second day of my cycle went well, per the usual. I had an exorbitant amount of energy and drive, even lifted weights for the first time in months, and powered through an hour on the treadmill afterwards. By the evening, though, I start to slow down and I can feel the effects of the chemo start to kick in. I’ve noticed that despite drinking a ton of water, days two through five I feel really dry. Not just my skin, but my body itself, feels like I sat in the sun for too long, and I just can’t replenish the lost fluids. By the evening of the second day I also began to develop a headache that lasted off and on through Sunday.
Days three and four are by far the worst days of the cycle, just like everyone tells you. Despite drinking at least three liters of water per day on top of other liquids, I still feel just hydrated enough. Saturday I felt better than Sunday, but I still had a headache that just didn’t want to go away. I slept late Saturday and didn’t ask much of myself in the way of physical activity. I know that these will be my yucky days and I’m giving myself permission to not do anything if I don’t feel well. I’ve cut down my anti-nausea meds too this week, and only took three pills throughout the course of the seven days (way less than week one), with no noted side effects.
Sunday (day four) was the worst day this week. I woke up all peppy and ready to do things, so I did laundry, dishes, and some small chores around the house, but by 10:30 I crashed and felt like I had no energy at all. I ate something and my energy increased again, but by the afternoon, when I had made plans to walk with my mom, I had crashed again. Despite feeling really yucky I went for a mile walk with my mom. When I got home, I started crying from sheer mental and physical exhaustion. Mentally on day four I’m exhausted. I have heightened sensitivity to sound and my brain feels really foggy and tired. Going for a walk was taxing on me mentally more than physically, and I was so thankful to get home.
Just like last week, the fog lifted by afternoon on Monday. I definitely felt more tired in the morning Monday versus last week, but after sort of forcing myself to get going, I felt better. I even went for a short hike in the afternoon despite feeling pretty tired, and I’m thankful that I did because I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll have to hike multiple days a week going forward.
Tuesday was the big day of the week. After going on a short hike Monday, I had made a mental note that I wanted to try something bigger Tuesday. Because I usually feel more like myself by Tuesday/Wednesday of the week, my plan going forward is to try and do a real hike one of those days every week. I ended up feeling fantastic and did a seven-mile loop with 2000’ elevation gain on Tuesday in the Belknap Range. It felt so good to be the hiker girl again and despite being pretty cold, the weather was perfect.
Today, Wednesday, is day seven and tomorrow I get my chemo again. I had my blood drawn this morning, met with the PA, and hiked Mt. Uncanoonuc, bringing my yearly mileage to 900-miles hiked. I’m trying to organize my life for the next ten weeks, am excited to be able to work on some new writing opportunities, with my friend Maggie, and I have been asked to do a series of episodes for a podcast about redlining and hiking through cancer treatment. Grad school is sort of this thorn in my side that jabs me every so often reminding me that I have a twenty-page research paper due December 11, and I’m looking forward to starting next semester and taking Masters level classes versus Doctoral.
I know every treatment means I will become more debilitated because that’s the whole point of chemo. I am doing my best to eat well, drink a ton of water, rest, social distance, and exercise so that the next ten weeks are a little less miserable, because my goal coming out of this experience is to still be strong physically and ready to start redlining again.
Side Effects -
Headache (days 3 & 4)
Bloody Nose (every morning my nose is full of dried blood. Apparently this is normal and the PA told me to put vaseline in my nasal cavity to help it not bleed)
Foggy Brain (days 3, 4, ½ of 5)
Physical Exhaustion/Tire Easily (days 3 & 4)
Feeling Dehydrated (days 2, 3, & 4)
Dry Skin
Skin Reaction to antibiotic ointment/band aid
Taste - Things are starting to taste “weird”, in particular they are tasting bitter
Appetite - No appetite in general
General - Feeling sick/off (days 3 & 4)
Sensory - Hypersensitivity to sound (day 4)
