When people ask me how I’m doing, it is not always easy to answer. My answer will kind of depend on if the person means right this minute, today, or just in general. The way chemo effects my body changes day to day and even hour to hour. It’s also unpredictable in that what happened the last week or the last cycle, may not necessarily happen this time around.
Here is what I’ve figured out about chemo and me, after (almost) two complete cycles:
- Fatigue: I get tired more easily and more often, with the amount of tiredness increasing with each three-week cycle. Feeling tired doesn't last all day--sometimes I crash, and then feel fine a few hours later.
- Chemo brain: I feel fuzzy-headed sometimes, and things I do can take me longer than I’m used to
- Other side effects I’m experiencing, not every day, but what I’ve noticed so far: sometimes I get headaches, for awhile my eyeballs were hurting (nice, right?), when I got my first round of neupogen shots my hips were aching, I get colds more easily, and the skin under my eyes sometimes get very puffy (love this one, so flattering)
- Other side effects I’m NOT experiencing: nausea, baldness (yeah!)
Two things I love: Excel and a good graph. So, I played around with both to show you a picture of how this works for me. The baseline line is just to show you how I felt before chemo—generally pretty good. The Cycle 2 line is the current cycle. Days 1, 4, 8 and 11 are the chemo days in every cycle. Days 15-21 are my days off.
Key
4= F! Cancer, I Feel Great!
3=Lost Some Mojo, But Doing OK
2=Feeling Foggy, Moving Slow
1=Can’t Reach Crate
Three more days until start of Cycle 3—hoping all of them are #4s!
Well, you sound like a 4 and you look like a 10. Love that chemo and neupogen shots aren't keeping you back (or stopping you from making graphs). Classic Marge: smart, creative and funny. We love you!
ReplyDeleteDad here. I second Jackie and add "courageous".
ReplyDeleteThanks dear Jackie. When I think of Margie, I think of "Excel""...in every way.
TGIFF, Margie...as brother Joe says.
Mom and I are in Oregon...brother Jim picked us up this morning at 1 AM at the Portland airport.
We are excited to see you, Chris , Elsa and Alice in a week. Beautiful Fall weather here.
Love, Dad
I third Jackie and second "dad here". So cute when he says that! So far you're doing better than most and that's not surprising. I wish you all 4s till you are thru with this journey to the "twilight zone" and back and 4 triple pluses from then on. Love you girl. Your partner in you know what.
ReplyDeletePS. I just wanted to say to "dad here" and your mom and family, you have been through some agonizing times with Joe and now Margie and I'm so sorry for that. But you have done an amazing job given the strength they both have shown. And you as well. Wow. What great parents you are. You also deserve the "star of the Year"! Thank you for Margie and Joe even though I don't know him, Margie has told me so much about him and she beams when she talks about him. We all love you too "dad here" and mom there and Joe.
ReplyDelete