2nd aftermath

Along with the almost immediate joint pain (which is caused not by chemo, but by the immune-system-boosting drugs that go with it), I had a low-level headache for a few days, and some sneezing and sinus congestion (which isn't on the list of side-effects, but I've had it both times), and not much else.

Fatigue seemed not to hit until later in the afternoon Saturday. I woke that morning, early (5am) and, after visiting the bathroom (a consistent sort of need, but a good thing, because the chemo and whatever it kills must exit my body somehow), tried to go back to sleep. After about an hour, I gave up, and went up to make breakfast. On my way past the couch in the family room, my older boy asks if I'm alright. He's taken to sleeping there so he can be nearby, I think, in case I need him. I tell him I'm fine, just can't seem to go back to sleep. Figure I'll use the energy while I have it.

I make breakfast, eat, wash dishes, do some laundry, change the sheets, put the duvet outside to air out. I am never this awake, this early.

(side note: I am a lousy housekeeper, in general. I tend to keep up with laundry and clutter, though not obsessively, and let everything else go, washing or cleaning things when a) I can't stand it anymore, b) I need something, or c) I'm expecting company. Sad but true. And now? Laundry is so caught up that I invent things to wash, like the rugs I washed Saturday; dishes are almost always done (almost, because I'd like the boys to do their own, so I leave them, sometimes), and the counters clean in the kitchen; bathroom gets wiped down daily. It's weird.)

I decide that I'll cut out a hat I've been meaning to make, and maybe some other stuff while I'm at it. Somewhere in there, I get a text from Jupiter, and I go out to meet her for breakfast (second breakfast started happening after 1st chemo), and a little shopping at the mall. And I'm totally fine. Energetic, even. (I maybe should have gone in to work, but, I have a life, too, you know?)

Back at home, I finish cutting out the rest of my project, and I'm starting to feel it. At this point, it's early afternoon, and I would have liked to get some more projects going, but I hate to push it, and my back is hurting from bending over while I cut out stuff on the floor, so I decide to rest a bit.

It's after 5pm before I bring in the duvet, which smells like outdoors now (aaahh), and we eat dinner together. Like normal people at the end of a normal day.

It gets a little foggy after that, as the fatigue settled in. I slept a lot, which is good. I wasn't able to relax quite as thoroughly last time, which I'm sure contributed to how slowly I recovered. I still had some constipation (why do I have to be different?), but I was able to keep ahead of it with some fiber tablets, so I felt much better.

Over the next two days, I mostly slept, ate (my ward brought me two meals a day - all super-yummy), and watched a little Netflix on my Kindle. Betty came over and gave me a back rub - I think that was Monday? Like I said, foggy. Somewhere in there, I had a slight fever. As long as it's not over 100F, it's okay, though. Tylenol takes care of it just fine.

Back at work Tuesday, just shy of a full day. I notice I'm warmer than usual, but that's common.

A little down, emotionally, Wednesday. That's part of the package, too. Physically, I felt fine, but I was sort of flat, didn't want to talk to anyone. No particular reason, just didn't feel "happy". I managed to get through the day, though, and it ended well, with Twin1's final interview for his mission papers. We were both glowing the entire time we were at the Stake offices, I think.
(OH MY WORD, THE PAPERWORK IS ON IT'S WAY TO CHURCH HEADQUARTERS!!! yikes. but in a good way.)

Two more weeks of "normal" before the next treatment. Life is pretty good.

(Hair loss seems to be on hiatus for a bit. My head is covered in a fairly even, though thin, sprinkling of hair, which I feel resembles the outer fluffiness of a baby chick or new kitten, without the underlying base fluff. I expect the rest of the hair on my head will jump ship around the 2nd week after this chemo session? As long as I can keep my eyebrows and eyelashes, I'm not complaining.)