As I have said before with doing the blog, no news is good news. It's been 10 days since my last post and that is good. I've been staying busy with the kids, enjoying the "good days" and not thinking too much about the upcoming chemo. You know what? I am so pumped to get the next 2 rounds over and done with, I can't wait for it to get here. I can see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel and know that my chemo is going to be over with before I know it. Round 4 went pretty smoothly and I can only hope that the next 2 Rounds will be as uneventful. I did try Claritin again and I actually think it helped since I only needed to take Lortab for one day to ease the bone pain! That was awesome. I can handle anti-nausea meds for about a week and one day of Lortab...easy, peasey, pumpkin squeezy!
I do think so much of this whole cancer journey is mental. I know that although Round 3 was my 1/2-way point, it still seemed like forever until the end. I was just absolutely miserable and I'm hoping and praying that will be remembered as my worst Round. Right now I can envision saying (after Round 5) that I only have 1 more Round...it seems so close and around the corner...I know I can make it and I will!
I did get in to see a few doctors these last two weeks and I'm so glad I did. I saw my Dermatologist to help me with the itchy skin and bumps I was dealing with. That was such a good move, they put me on a prescribed lotion to ease the itching and it worked! The red spots are gone and I'm not digging, clawing, tearing up my skin anymore! There was a definite correlation between the areas of skin I was itching at and what was exposed to the sun...so, I've been using sunscreen, wearing shirts that cover more up and staying out of the direct sunlight when I can. I'm so glad to have that under control, it was a real nuisance.
The other doctor I saw last week was my Podiatrist. Here's what happened...after Round 4, I noticed my fingernails feeling quite numb. Neuropathy is a definite side effect and some chemo patients lose their fingernails and toenails. Gross, huh? I started using a lot of lotion before bed, hoping to moisturize the heck out of my nails and to prevent losing them. Well, I also noticed my big toenail on my left foot throbbing. Not good, nor was the fact that it was red all around the nail. Hmm, well, I took off my cute nail polish and noticed that my big toenail was 1/2 purple. So, I made the appointment with the Podiatrist and she said I probably jammed it somehow (I couldn't remember what I did to it), and she said the nail would probably come off on its own, but she recommended taking it off to avoid the risk of infection (especially with my immune system being compromised from the chemo)...so, yes, I had the nail removed last Monday. Thank God she numbed it up good, I couldn't look at her removing it, but it's gone. I've faithfully been doing my "Hibiclens" soak, twice a day, 20 minutes each time. So, all that to say I'll be growing out my hair and my big toe nail at the same time!
Yes, I'll be going in for Round 5 on Tuesday, July 14th. Your prayers and words of encouragement are so appreciated still! We're so blessed with such a great support network and I know that is continuing to see us through this incredible journey.
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