Round 2- Done and dusted!

So I'm officially 1/3 of the way through chemo treatment now. It still leaves a lot to go, but I'm trying to look at it with the glass is half full (or 1/3 full, in this case) perspective.

Everything went pretty smoothly today. There were only a couple minor glitches. Elisa wasn't too happy about being babysat by someone other than a family member (but Leila did really well and even put herself down for her nap)! Also, the outpatient chemo rooms were full when I arrived for my appointment so I had to wait for people to clear out and then wait my turn to get hooked up. So I was about 40 minutes behind schedule, which was a little frustrating since I left an unhappy Elisa to race to the Cancer Clinic so I wouldn't be late...

The good news is that I was fortunate enough not to have any severe reactions this time either. Plus, I had the fabulous company of my friend, Vanessa, who even brought me a tasty, healthy lunch since I didn't have time to eat lunch at home beforehand. She also escorted me home to be sure I got here safely. (Thanks, V!)

Since the treatment, I've had the same side effects as last time. I'm a little red and hot all over like I have a sunburn. Any places with rapidly regrowing cells (like the inside of my mouth, my scalp, my stomach and my surgical scar) are all burning and tingling. I actually forgot to list these side effects in my laundry list blog post since they only lasted a few days last time. Also, the joint pain after the Neulasta shot definitely masked any more minor pain/discomfort!

As I'm now taking the steroids prescribed for just before and just after the treatment, I've got a buzz of energy that's a bit like drinking too much coffee. Although my body is tired, my brain is working triple time so I'm not really able to relax and rest. However, once I stop the steroids, I'll likely have the same crash of fatigue I had last time and will spend a lot of time sleeping to recover.

Oh, and the massive hair loss continues. Although I knew it was coming, it is still hard to watch. Last night, I brushed my hair before bed so I could remove any loose hairs before they ended up in my bed. I did it over the bathroom sink to contain the mess, and here was the result:

Not pretty. It looks like I trapped a giant, furry rodent. Although I know that the loss is temporary, and I have a super cute wig to wear when my hair is gone, it's still a bit sad. :(

So that I don't end on that depressing note, I'll mention my other good news of the day. I went to the pharmacy to buy my Neulasta shot for tomorrow. The pharmacist suggested that I take 3 doses (the maximum at one time) so I'd only have to pay my co-pay once. So I ended up getting nearly 4000 euros of medication (they're 1300+ euros apiece) for just 3 euros! Thank you, socialized medicine!!