Chemo comes with its share of common side effects such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, mouth sores, fatigue, etc. Yet, there are also side effects you would never have thought of.
Eye tearing. Read it's a side effect from Taxotere. It's been almost 3 weeks since my last and final chemo treatment and the waterworks are driving me crazy. In addition, I wake up each morning with a gritty goop in the inside corners of my eyes. A washcloth dipped in warm water cleans things up very well. I started using Visine multi symptom and it seems to help quite a bit.
To keep my eyes company, my nose runs constantly. Also a side effect from Taxotere.
The cough. It started with my 3rd chemo treatment and is still around. It's a dry, non-productive annoyance. Chest and lungs are clear, but the tickle has stayed.
Fingernails and
toenails are funky looking. Thin bands on the surface of my fingernails. My toenails ... my big toes just look gross! None lifting or falling off thankfully. You guessed it. Taxotere.
Vision changes. Sometimes things get blurry. I wear glasses, so I'm always adjusting them.
My sense of smell has fully come back ... but taste? Well, some things still taste yucky. I'm either adding sugar or salt. I was told taste takes quite awhile to return to normal.
I didn't lose a lot of weight, nor did I gain. I pretty much stayed the same. I have to say though, sometimes my legs feel like they are made of ... lead.
Though not a weird side effect, my eyebrows and eyelashes have thinned considerably. A little mascara easily thickens the eyelashes. The weird part though ... concerns my eyebrows. I've been been filling them in and they look better now then before!
Chemo ... farts ... are deadly. That's all I'm gonna say.
Gotta say, 17 days since my final chemo and I feel really good!
I had my 4th and last Chemo treatment today. Four treatments might not seem like many, but Chemo is extremely tough on the body, mind, and spirit. I can't imagine how some people can endure a year's worth of Chemo. I am so glad it's over.
At the Cancer Center where I received my treatments, there is a brass bell in the main hallway with a small plaque behind it. Every patient is encouraged to ring the bell 3 times when their Chemo treatments are over signaling the end of that part of their journey. Check out the photo below.
I was never so happy to ring a bell in my entire life! My Chemo has ended, but my journey is not yet over. In January I will begin 6 weeks of radiation therapy for 5 days a week. From what I've been told, radiation therapy is a piece of cake by comparison to Chemo. And I am absolutely ready to continue down the road ....
I hope you will join me as I continue the next part of my journey.
I had my 3rd Chemo infusion on November 17th. Five days later I was admitted to the hospital because my white blood cell count had dropped dramatically. Neutropenia. I also had a low grade fever and a dry cough. The cough was the oddest thing. Very dry, almost like I had particles of dust coating my throat. BUT my lungs and chest were absolutely clear. No mucus. I didn't cough all the time. It was sporadic. Annoying as hell. Needless to say, I felt wiped out. I was pumped full of antibiotics, fluids, and shots to make sure no blood clots formed in my legs. I did feel much better in a very short time.
I couldn't wait to go home. If you have spent time in a hospital, you know why. You can't sleep. You are woken up at all hours for a pill, a shot, checking vitals, and doctor visits. I was released 2 1/2 days later. I had more antibiotics to take for 10 days and 2 different kinds of cough medicine. I really only needed cough medicine occasionally at night. The cough faded away a few days after I'd been home. I have my own theories about the ... cough. I call it "Chemo cough". After I'd been home for awhile, I did some online research. Not surprisingly, I am not the only one who had a very similar experience. Doctors don't want to hear or talk about "Chemo cough". Oh, well.
My 4th and final Chemo treatment is Thursday December 8. Yay! I have been staying home more and avoiding crowds. If I do go out, I wear a surgical mask EVERYWHERE and I don't touch anything if I go into a store. Hubby goes with me all the time and does the touching. I have hand sanitizer bottles all over the house, in my purse, and in the car. I wash my hands often as well. I also wear my mask in the house if I'm petting our cat.
The only bump in the road at the moment is my stepson has a bad cold. He WEARS a mask when he's around me. He's an adult and goes to work everyday, so we are not together all day. When he goes off to work, I use Clorox wipes and clean the TV remotes, doorknobs, refrigerator door handles, light switches, and the computer mouse and keyboard. Then I spray some Lysol into the air near the living room couch and other places in the house.
When my stepson first came down with his cold I was almost tempted to spray him with Lysol ...but his cold got better rather quickly. Good thing for him. Hee Hee Hee ....
I'll let you know how things go after my last Chemo treatment in a week or so ....
