The last two treatments I took, my platelets were between 65,000 and 80,000. My thinking was the doctor won't give me another with my platelets low, so I cancelled my appointment for mid April. This will put three weeks between my 8th and 9th treatments.
Week two of a treatment you start to feel better. The tingling is less severe, cold does not bother you as much, you begin to get your strength back. The extra week off was great. You actually start to feel normal. Since there are no outward signs of cancer it's easy to put your condition on the back burner. However there are little subtle reminders. Your toothpaste seems to burn your mouth. My nose runs and my eyes water. You tire easily.
Dawn of a treatment day. 8:00 am appointment so we leave the house a 7:00. Don't know what to expect when we get there. Normally I want blood drawn from my arm and get hooked up in the back. Port has to be flushed once a month. It has been three weeks between treatments and if today I don't get one that would be five weeks. So they had to use the port.
Did not see the doctor but his nurse assistant. Platelets were 100,000. Time to get hooked up.
Today was a full strength dose of chemo, back on oxaliplatin. Now a four hour sit and wait. Lady on my left had radiation for breast cancer and now a follow up of chemo. She is 79 years old and very scared. The guy on my right has a six plus hour treatment once every three weeks. He brings nothing with him to help pass the time. Me, I carry newspaper, puzzle books, reading material and an mp3 player. When lunch time comes, Ann will bring me a sandwich and drink. My friend on the right has no one to bring him anything. I offered to have Ann bring him something, but he refused.
Doctor room treatment is over, hooked up to my little buddy and on the way home. Already I can feel the tingling caused by the oxalipatin. I have written on eariler posts that I have had no side effects. This time I felt it would be different and it was. A headache started about 3:00 pm, the tingling increased, and a slight sick to my stomach feeling came on. I told myself all this was caused by a full dose of chemo. Hope I am right.
Tuesday and Wednesday the headache, tingling and sick feeling continued. Got the pump off about 11:30. Had lunch at a buffet rest. My appetite was off. Wednesday afternoon was a take it easy day. Headache and sick feeling abated.
Thursday was a lost day. I spent most of the day in my recliner just out of it. In bed by nine and got a good nights sleep. Felt well enough on Friday to play a round of golf. May have over done it. Paid the price on Friday night.
GOD is still good and in control. Till next time. So long.
