A week after the steamroller

It’s been 1 week after chemo, and what a difference! I’ve learned that it’s going to take a full week to feel human again, no matter what. Staying home on Monday was the right thing to do, but I didn’t feel any better or worse on Tuesday than if I had worked for ½ the day on Monday. So now I know.

Eating several times a day makes a difference in how I feel in the short term; the only issue with that is that I don’t want to eat anything. I have no appetite, it’s too much trouble to fix something, (even warming a can of soup is exhausting), and I only want about 4 bites anyway. Food is just food, nothing more. Nothing tastes especially good or bad, and there are no cravings for anything with this new medicine. I have noticed that I’m more “burpy” than usual (too much info? Sorry!) and it doesn’t matter what I eat. There is a little nausea with this new medicine, but it’s not bothersome enough to take the anti-nausea meds. Yes, I know they work better in the belly than in the bottle. Still not going to take them unless I have to. Have I mentioned that I hate taking pills? Y’all knew that? Huh.

I am having some difficulty with pressure in my chest. It feels like someone is pushing on it when I lie down, get up from lying down, get up from sitting down, or walk around. It also hurts frequently when I bend down, like when petting the dog, or tying my shoes, picking up something from the floor, or when carrying something. The sensation goes away, but it’s very uncomfortable while it lasts. You know, like a toothache is uncomfortable.

That’s all the whining for today. Stay tuned for the next episode, when we may hear the stylist say, “. . . And how short are we cutting it today, ma’am?” And maybe not. Thanks for being here. I’m glad y’all are here with me.

¶ 12:06 PM