Chemo 2

Hey everybody! I had my second treatment today, yay! I was a little nervous about it yesterday for whatever reason, mostly not wanting to go and being a little worried about having to go to the hospital again. But my goal is not to have to go back there this week and to have an easy week.

The chemo went pretty well today. I had to have the same amount of Benadryl again, which was too bad, but there's a chance for an adverse reaction the first two times patients receive chemotherapy, and for that reason it's good to have a solid amount of Benadryl. Maybe next time it'll be less. It just makes me so sleepy! I slept through most of it and then slept another three hours at home. I freaked out in the middle because I felt some sharp pains at the site where the needle was stuck in, and I thought my bandage was filling with blood. In the end, it was just my weird surgical glue and bruise. Whoops. I wish that damn glue would come off because it itches, and I wonder what's going on under there. I think it's time my skin starts breathing!

I don't know if I told you guys, but this is pretty exciting. I can already feel my tumors shrinking! Even just a few days after the first treatment I could feel that they're smaller and not as dense.

I had a follow-up appointment with my nurse today before chemo, and she told me that my genetic test might be in by next week, which I already knew. I really hope that I'm negative for any genetic mutations, but I guess it's safer for my mental well-being to prepare myself for bad news. I kinda have a bad feeling it's going to be positive anyway. She also told me that the next time we'll do any imaging (like MRI, PET Scan, ultrasound, etc...) will be when I'm done with Taxol in about 2.5 months. That's a long time. She also reminded me that my hair was going to start changing after this week, which of course has been on my mind already. And unfortunately, she told me that a lot of people gain weight during treatment because they eat more and physically do less. I'm scared to be chubby and bald! How vain, but seriously, you have to be sick, fat, bald, and potentially breastless and scarred? That's sorta crap.

There was another thing the nurse told me that I found interesting. I told her that the medicine made me really thirsty and I was drinking water and peeing all the time. She told me that's because the chemo kills a bunch of cells, so I have a bunch of dead cells and waste running through my body. My body gets thirsty to flush all that junk out, and when I'm peeing, I'm peeing out all my dead cancer! Ew, but cool! So she said to keep peeing and pooping that stuff out. Wahoo, will do (can't really help it not to...)!

I have a treat this week, an out-of-state visitor! One of my best friends is coming for a visit, all the way from San Francisco. Wahoo! That'll be fun. And in her honor, I'm having my head shaving party on Friday. All are welcome to attend, but I know my Winter Parkers are gearing up for a big weekend of bikers. Good luck guys... "lose" the jerks' tickets and add secret gratuity! HAHAHA just kidding! Anyway, I plan on having someone take some video footage so you can all be in on the party and see whether I do indeed have a nicely shaped head (I'm thinking no... but whatever). I'll probably look like this. Hehehe. Be on the lookout for my video later this week!

ALSO: I put up a new post on July 25. It covers my meeting with the oncologist, and there will be three more after that to follow, when I get the time...