4 October 2011

Chemo 101

So today was my Chemo 101 class. I did not test out. On the plus side, it sounds like they manage nausea well, and are responsive to quality of life issues. Evidently the dark ages of chemotherapy are over and there are a multitude of drugs they can administer to fix cancer, and then a multitude of other drugs they can administer to fix the crap the cancer-fixing drugs cause. I wonder if there is a third tier there as well, (to fix what the fix the cancer-fixing drugs cause, and so on.) I'm not 100% sanguine on all of this poison about to enter my system but at this point I'm thinking that since I've started down this path, I may as well continue instead of doing the smudge-pot, crystal, and shaman route.

Because my course is short (four cycles, 3 weeks apart each,) I shouldn't have some of the problems commonly associated with chemo. I was told that I would totally lose my hair, but I'm good with that. I'll have mouth sores, but they have a relatively easy fix/preventative involving salt and baking soda rinses. Nausea should not be an issue. I may be prone to headaches but that can be combatted by letting them know and they'll slow down the drip. My nails should survive intact. I'll have to have both benedryl and steroids, which both agitate me, so I'll be countering those with a Klonopin, which I currently take for occasional anxiety.

I do not have to quarantine myself, just use common sense during cold season - frequent hand washing, avoiding virus shedding sickies, general good health practices (8 hours sleep, good nutrition, exercise body, exercise mind.)

My biggest challenge right now is two-fold. First, my freaking arms are driving me batty - they burn like crazy, laying on them feels like I am flaying them, t-shirts feel like ice picks sticking in my armpits. And second, I can't drive yet. And based on the fact I can't lift my left arm past 45 degrees, I don't know when will be able to drive.

Yesterday we called in reserves. My nephew will be coming down next week when my last sister heads home. He'll see me thru my first chemo appt and hopefully, at four and a half weeks post surgery, I'll be able to drive. As for the armpits, I'm just going to have to keep popping the ibuprofen.

Oh yah, and sometime between now and when I have chemo, our health insurance will be changing and the new insurer requires prior authorization. And evidently will not reimburse retroactively. And we can't get the information on it until we switch over, which will be next week. Fun!