Well, I woke up this morning and laying in bed, I decided to check my armpit hair. I don't have much because I shaved it recently, but the little bit that was there, I pinched. It came out. So I tried my head and "yes indeedy" it came out as well. More on my sides than on the top of my head...the top seems more planted in, but the sides is like pulling a cats hair, it just all comes out! Funny too, because my scalp was feeling normal. Not sore or itchy like it was last week....so no real clue as to it happening. My leg hair is too bristly to tell, but it seems like it's staying a while.
I have had a bunch of headaches over the last few weeks, so I thought I'd call the chemo room at the hospital to see what they thought about that. I asked other questions too. Here's what I learned (did you know learnt isn't a real word? either is lyed, as in I lyed there thinking...) so anyway, here a couple cool things I learned.
Apparently, after chemo, I am not supposed to puke the first night, or feel nauseous the first week. When I told the nurse how it went, she gave me a new regime for taking my anti-nauseants. Basically I will take (the one type) the day before my chemo, once in the morning and once at dinner, and then once in the morning before my chemo. I tried telling her that it may have all been psychological and she laughed and said "It's always the chemo, it's never psychological." So hopefully this new regime will fix the barfing, it's worth a try!
The other thing I learned, is that I could have asked for a private chemo room. Normally, for me, (I live small town BC) I go to a room with one patient in each corner and in the middle is a desk where the doctor and 2 nurses sit and do work on the computer. But when I told the nurse today, that I had a lot of questions for Doc on my next appointment day, she said, I can always request a private room, if I want. This would have been handy on my first chemo day, as I think all of the bald heads is what freaked me out! But now, I like it. I had fun chatting with the other people, everyone was so pleasant. However, I thought I would let others know, you may be able to ask for this in your city or town.
So those little tidbits may help a bit. Basically mentioning any concern you may have seems to open a door for solution. It seems to me it is the chemo nurse's job to make you as comfortable as humanly possible during this.
Other things I can look forward to for this up coming appointment...because I puked so much the first night, the nurse told me that my Doctor is going to try and get me to stay the night on my first night. He likes to admit these patients so he can keep us hydrated and monitored. I'm not opposed to the idea necessarily but, it's pretty boring at the hospital. No T.V, no internet. POO. We'll see what he says when I talk to him on Wednesday. I guess at this next appointment, they are going to teach me (and my mother in law) how to give me a needle in my belly. Starting this next round of chemo, until the end of my chemo, they are prescribing me the $2000.00 a shot drug!! They call it Filgrastim. It has another name but I can't remember it...it is a shot that you give yourself (or your partner gives you) a few days after the chemo. It triggers the production of white blood cells, so that you don't get an infection and have to be hospitalized. I don't think it is necessarily standard but this is my oncologists way of doing things here. Oh, and thank god for coverage! Most people do not have to pay for this.....so don't worry!
So here I sit. Hair falling down like snowflakes, preparing myself for my next treatment. I am actually looking forward to it. One more down means, only 4 left!! That's OK by me. I should get up off the couch and walk my dogs soon, maybe have a shower...but for now I am content. I am going to write another blog today on some exciting stuff I am starting to become a part of.....til then!!
I have had a bunch of headaches over the last few weeks, so I thought I'd call the chemo room at the hospital to see what they thought about that. I asked other questions too. Here's what I learned (did you know learnt isn't a real word? either is lyed, as in I lyed there thinking...) so anyway, here a couple cool things I learned.
Apparently, after chemo, I am not supposed to puke the first night, or feel nauseous the first week. When I told the nurse how it went, she gave me a new regime for taking my anti-nauseants. Basically I will take (the one type) the day before my chemo, once in the morning and once at dinner, and then once in the morning before my chemo. I tried telling her that it may have all been psychological and she laughed and said "It's always the chemo, it's never psychological." So hopefully this new regime will fix the barfing, it's worth a try!
The other thing I learned, is that I could have asked for a private chemo room. Normally, for me, (I live small town BC) I go to a room with one patient in each corner and in the middle is a desk where the doctor and 2 nurses sit and do work on the computer. But when I told the nurse today, that I had a lot of questions for Doc on my next appointment day, she said, I can always request a private room, if I want. This would have been handy on my first chemo day, as I think all of the bald heads is what freaked me out! But now, I like it. I had fun chatting with the other people, everyone was so pleasant. However, I thought I would let others know, you may be able to ask for this in your city or town.
So those little tidbits may help a bit. Basically mentioning any concern you may have seems to open a door for solution. It seems to me it is the chemo nurse's job to make you as comfortable as humanly possible during this.
Other things I can look forward to for this up coming appointment...because I puked so much the first night, the nurse told me that my Doctor is going to try and get me to stay the night on my first night. He likes to admit these patients so he can keep us hydrated and monitored. I'm not opposed to the idea necessarily but, it's pretty boring at the hospital. No T.V, no internet. POO. We'll see what he says when I talk to him on Wednesday. I guess at this next appointment, they are going to teach me (and my mother in law) how to give me a needle in my belly. Starting this next round of chemo, until the end of my chemo, they are prescribing me the $2000.00 a shot drug!! They call it Filgrastim. It has another name but I can't remember it...it is a shot that you give yourself (or your partner gives you) a few days after the chemo. It triggers the production of white blood cells, so that you don't get an infection and have to be hospitalized. I don't think it is necessarily standard but this is my oncologists way of doing things here. Oh, and thank god for coverage! Most people do not have to pay for this.....so don't worry!
So here I sit. Hair falling down like snowflakes, preparing myself for my next treatment. I am actually looking forward to it. One more down means, only 4 left!! That's OK by me. I should get up off the couch and walk my dogs soon, maybe have a shower...but for now I am content. I am going to write another blog today on some exciting stuff I am starting to become a part of.....til then!!
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