Category Archives: cancer

day ten

24 Sunday May 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, fitness, food & drink, friends, health & happiness, home, hope, tapas

≈ 20 Comments

sun_clouds

It’s day ten after the last infusion and the sun is starting to shine again. Well, in terms of how I feel – it’s actually been nice and sunny here for ages. But it’s around this time of the chemo cycle that I can start drinking cool beverages again, take stuff out of the fridge without it hurting my fingers, and stop feeling so bloody weak and bleh. I could tell it was different when I woke up yesterday morning … can’t really explain it, just that things felt less “heavy and bleak” and somehow less “wrong”.  What a relief!

Continue reading →

time to get up already?

19 Tuesday May 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, health & happiness, home, naps, yoga

≈ 14 Comments

sleeping_beauty

I have basically been sleeping since last Thursday afternoon when Flor dropped me off at home after the last infusion.  I always seem to be hit hardest by the chemo during the first five days so I think it’s good thing to just give in and do what my body is demanding. Which is to rest.

When I was on chemo last summer I always had five awful days when I was laid low with nausea and could barely move from bed. After the first two infusions this time (with new anti-nausea meds) I felt a bit tired the first five days but got by with a nap in the afternoon. Little did I know this was because of the dexametasona, which gave me an energy boost but really made me pay for it when I crashed a few days later. This time with only the anti-nausea meds I don’t have nausea but I also have no energy whatsoever. I’ve managed a short walk each day – and even made it to yoga yesterday! – but the days have been punctuated by no less than three 3-hour naps. And you know what? I just give in. Like I have a choice?

But today is day six and I plan to get up and stay up. Wish me luck!

 

xeloda

14 Thursday May 2009

Posted by in cancer, chemo, health & happiness, hospitals

≈ 32 Comments

xelodaPossible side effects

Xeloda (aka capecitabine) is the oral chemo I take during the two weeks following my 2 1/2 hour chemo infusions (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) at the hospital. Taken in the morning and in the evening. I have my iPhone set to remind me at 10am and 10pm to take my pills. And I really really really hate this stuff. I mean, check out the possible side effects. BUT, as long as I can handle it I’m going to continue. I’ve heard that the symptoms get worse as you go – last summer I just had three sessions so I didn’t get to the breaking point some people I know have reached.  And who knows, maybe I won’t because everyone responds differently to meds. But I gag every time I have to swallow these fuckers because I know they are doing terrible things to me. Let’s just hope they are also doing terrible things to the cancer cells so that going through all this ends up being worth it.

Round three of chemo today. Bleh.

protein overload

08 Friday May 2009

Posted by in cancer, food & drink, hospitals

≈ 24 Comments

protein

Today I start on the colonoscopy diet.

For the next two days I will only be able to eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products and – for some bizarre reason – biscuits (as in digestive biscuits or similar). I cannot eat any fruit, vegetables, legumes, bread, potatoes, pasta or rice.  The hardest thing for me will be going without vegetables, but it’s only two days and so I plan to make it as interesting as possible. Will be going to the market this morning to stock up on free-range chicken, fresh salmon, calamares, pork ribs (honey & mustard ribs – mmm…) and possibly a nice leg of lamb. What the hell.

Of course, the worst day is going to be Sunday (day before the colonscopy) because I can only have liquids that day and around 4pm have to start drinking the “solución evacuante“. One sachet of “orange-flavoured” gack mixed with 250cc of water … every 15-20 minutes until all 16 sachets have been consumed. That’s 4 litres of water! Yikes. I’m quite used to drinking 2 litres of water throughout the day, but even for me this seems like too much.

And this is supposed to be my “week off” as I finished with the chemo pills for this cycle yesterday. During my last week off I had to have the port installed, and now this time it’s the colonoscopy. Bummer.  😦