Recap of the week of treatment #4

Last weekend, I had a sore throat. I have not had a cold in several years and hoped that the sore throat would go away. I knew being on chemo would make me more susceptible to illness, but I was hopeful I would shake whatever little bug had infected me.

     On Monday, Steve and I went to the cancer center. Our usual corner of the room was occupied, so we went to a far corner of the room where no one else was sitting. I settled in with my book and my iPad while the nurse hooked me up to the IV drip. Not long after I started, a woman came in and sat across from us. She proceeded to talk loudly on her cell phone for the entire duration of her, and my, treatment. Chemo makes many people not feel well. Many other patients are slumped over, trying to sleep. Cell phone patient goes on to have a very loud conversation about people in jail and on work release. So much for trying to find some peace while sitting in the chair. 

     When I got home that night, I developed some pretty significant nausea. I laid in bed with bed spins. I skipped dinner and stayed in bed all night. I also now had a stuffy nose and cough to go along with my sore throat. I coughed much of Monday night. I attended a meeting that morning, but had to leave early. That afternoon, I started a fever which lasted all of Tuesday night and into Wednesday. My cough kept me up again all Tuesday night. On Wednesday, I called the oncology office to inform them of my fever and cough. The doctor phoned in an antibiotic and a cough medicine. My fever came down on Thursday morning, but my cough continued to keep me awake each night. The cough is exhausting and painful, especially along my incision line, but I think it is finally starting to improve. 

     So, the week of treatment #4 was pretty much a wasted one for me. I laid in bed a lot and didn't see much of my family. My poor husband had to come home from work and pull double duty cooking dinner, Etc., several days last week. I know the kids miss me when I spend the bulk of my time in bed. I feel guilty when I cannot keep up with my normal duties. It was another tough week. On a positive note, I spent a little time with friends, had one kind person bring dinner, spent a little time with Riley outside on Saturday and took her for a driving lesson on Sunday. I had my weekly blood draw on Friday and was a little concerned that the numbers would be off because of my illness. I have not heard from the oncology office, so I guess Treatment #5 is this afternoon. I wonder what this week will bring.