wildspirit's Cancer Blog
September 20, 2008
| New side effects and flower pics | Views: 665 |
After 5 chemo treatments I woke up yesterday morning, had an incredible headache and within minutes I was heading for the toilet. This is the first time I have experiences nausea or vomiting during all of this! About an hour later I was there again but thankfully that was the last time, knock on wood!
Today I woke up at 5:30am and went back to bed about 6:30-7am. My hubby was working on putting up a barn at the neighbors house, so he was gone most of the day. I guess he came home for lunch and I was still sleeping. Then he came home again and that’s when I heard him and felt him touch me . . . I now know he was probably making sure I was still alive! Why, because when I finally opened my eyes and looked at the clock it was 4PM! I can’t believe I slept all that time . . . I guess I needed it although I’ve been getting enough sleep and I can’t believe I still feel so exhausted!
For the first time also this week my ankles and feet have been getting swollen. I guess things really can and do get worse or at least different with each chemo treatment. Don’t ever think you’ve experienced all you are going to until well after the last chemo treatment.
I’ve posted some new pictures that I took this week and I hope you will look at them and hope that you all will enjoy them. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned it earlier but I am a photographer and due to all of this I canceled all my work for the rest of the year. It was very hard for me since I’ve worked my butt off for the last 2 years building my business, but I’m glad I did it. There is no way with how I’ve been feeling that I could have done what I had scheduled. Just FYI for those of you that think being a photographer surely can’t be that tough. I don’t do normal photos, well I do, but that’s not what I mostly do. I do horse shows and horse events, etc. These things run for 3 days and are easily 12 hours a day on my feet. Lots of hard work and very physically demanding. Then I’ll spend a week on the computer uploading them for all to see. Anyway, it’s been really tough for me to not be out there doing my photography. That is one reason I have been taking lots of flower photos . . . I just have to go out into my front yard to accomplish this and I think it’s helped me a lot to be able to do this. And I’ve gotten some pretty nice images that I can add to my portfolio.
Right now, this weekend is one of the biggest horse shows I do each year. This would have been my 3rd year as the official photographer for them and just thinking about it makes me cry. But show management and the photographer they got to cover for me know that I plan to be back next year!
OK, I’m wondering how Yuyu and Sonia are doing? Been thinking about you 2 a lot the last few days. If you read this, please let me know how you are.
Big Hugs,
Wendy
07.30.08 - 
Thanks for your support -
Wendy,
These are beautiful pictures. Amazing! I am a big nature fan, and looking at these pretty flowers make me motivated to get it over with cancer and start camping again!
Thank you for thinking of me. I am doing okay. I had to let my hair go today. But, I am doing better than I expected.
Yuyu
Hi Wendy,
I am SweetE2 and I understand about the chemo reaction. After my 5th chemo treatment, I was so weak I could hardly move so stayed at my cousin Mary’s and just lay down on her couch all day & night for Sat & Sun (chemo started Wed and ended Friday morning). I was never that weak before, but no nausea.
I called the nurse on Monday and they told me to come in and they’d give me 2 saline IV treatments. After the first one, I say I finally regained consciousness and was awake for the next hour of the second treatment. Thank God, I felt alive again!
The doctor suggested and I agreed that they lower my dosage. I believe the chemo had built up in my system and had become toxic for me.
I wasn’t as tired after the 6th treatment since they had reduced it by 10%. I did get a little nausea one day and hurriedly took my anti-nausea pill, which stopped the nausea and I was not nauseated again.
Keep the faith but check with your doctor about maybe reducing your chemo just a little. It may help with the nausea and tiredness.
You know, you are very courageous!
Love and hugs to you,
SweetE2 (sweete2)
Sorry about the blank post, I forgot to log in. The only side effect that I have been experiencing fromthe pills is my bowels are a little loose and I was going several times a day (around 3), I have been on the pills about three weeks now and although they are still loose although I am only going once a day. Other than that I have not had any other side effects.
Even though I only had four chemo treatments I also was experiencing that incredible fatigue and bone pain. I would sleep the entire day, get up for an hour or two and be ready to climb back into bed. After my last treatment I had the usual side effects, thrush, fatigue bone and body pain but within two weeks everything was gone. My hair started to grow and I felt really good. The only lasting effect is that I have some neuropathy in my one foot along with some swelling on hotter days, cooler days the swelling is next to nothing.
Things will get better, and when people would say this to me I would think, yeah right! But they do, you are in my prayers. Keep me posted. Angelwthwingz@comcast.net
Hi Wendy,
You look beautiful with your wig. You must find it healing to be around horses. They are so beautiful and gentle. I think about going to ride one lately. Anyway, just wanted to say “hi”. I don’t think I have written before. I here for you.
Kathleen