Journal entry by Amy Lindahl —
Good Morning, Everyone!!
I'm sitting here in my SECOND TO LAST chemo appointment!! April 11th will be my last one. THANKYOUBABYJESUS!! Not that the chemo has been too terrible, but I'll be happy for my hair to finally start growing back. Why can't they figure out that chemo would be so much more tolerable (for me, anyway....I can't speak for everyone who has had chemo because I know many, if not most people have had much worse chemo experiences than me) if you didn't lose your damn hair and feel like a freak. My oncologist this morning said that they are seeing good results with 'cold caps', a cap you wear during your chemo that sounds like it basically freezes your hair follicles while you're getting chemo, which apparently doesn't let as much of the chemo into the follicles, and it's worked for some people to retain their hair. Good for them. :)
Anyhoo....the last two treatments have actually been worse for me than my first four. I've been experiencing neuropathy in my feet, legs and hands. Really wasn't expecting it so I think that kind of made it worse when it happened the first time. Was awake for two nights with basically a really painful restless leg syndrome, was laying down with my feet on a heating pad, taking lots of baths because that seemed to be the only thing that helped. After two days I called the doctor and he prescribed my some pain medication and that made a WORLD of difference. Now I just hope I don't become an opioid addict. No more even slight nausea, and I'll chalk up any 'fatigue' I have to plain laziness so the neuropathy is the only side effect I'm dealing with at this point. The doctor said it 'should' go away once I'm done with chemo.
After chemo, it's 6 weeks of radiation and then hormone therapy (a pill) for about 10 years. Once I'm done with radiation, I can start working with plastic surgery on finishing the reconstruction. Hopefully it will all be done by the end of the year. I'm sick of doctor's appointments.
Otherwise, have been working, going home to TN as often as I can, working out when I feel like it, which has been pretty often, and just waiting to get through this chemo!! I hope everyone out there is doing well!!
Take care,
Amy
I'm sitting here in my SECOND TO LAST chemo appointment!! April 11th will be my last one. THANKYOUBABYJESUS!! Not that the chemo has been too terrible, but I'll be happy for my hair to finally start growing back. Why can't they figure out that chemo would be so much more tolerable (for me, anyway....I can't speak for everyone who has had chemo because I know many, if not most people have had much worse chemo experiences than me) if you didn't lose your damn hair and feel like a freak. My oncologist this morning said that they are seeing good results with 'cold caps', a cap you wear during your chemo that sounds like it basically freezes your hair follicles while you're getting chemo, which apparently doesn't let as much of the chemo into the follicles, and it's worked for some people to retain their hair. Good for them. :)
Anyhoo....the last two treatments have actually been worse for me than my first four. I've been experiencing neuropathy in my feet, legs and hands. Really wasn't expecting it so I think that kind of made it worse when it happened the first time. Was awake for two nights with basically a really painful restless leg syndrome, was laying down with my feet on a heating pad, taking lots of baths because that seemed to be the only thing that helped. After two days I called the doctor and he prescribed my some pain medication and that made a WORLD of difference. Now I just hope I don't become an opioid addict. No more even slight nausea, and I'll chalk up any 'fatigue' I have to plain laziness so the neuropathy is the only side effect I'm dealing with at this point. The doctor said it 'should' go away once I'm done with chemo.
After chemo, it's 6 weeks of radiation and then hormone therapy (a pill) for about 10 years. Once I'm done with radiation, I can start working with plastic surgery on finishing the reconstruction. Hopefully it will all be done by the end of the year. I'm sick of doctor's appointments.
Otherwise, have been working, going home to TN as often as I can, working out when I feel like it, which has been pretty often, and just waiting to get through this chemo!! I hope everyone out there is doing well!!
Take care,
Amy
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