Return of the Poison

Dear blog,

I biked to my second chemo session today. I had been feeling about 80-90% of normal for the last 5 days about of the first two week period. I could do sedentary activities without any symptoms, and walk without symptoms, but more serious exercise had a cap well below my usual ability.

My white blood count is low. I will have to take neulasta, an injection to stimulate production, tomorrow. I will get it after my port consultation at 2:15 PM. I decided to get a port after two of my veins failed to make a good IV site despite what appeared to be perfectly expert administration by the nurses. Let's be honest; setting IVs is their business, and if they had that much trouble after one cycle, I'll go ahead and do the surgery.

And I biked home. I'm pretty fatigued. The doctor said fatigue would tend to build. That makes sense. If I started the last treatment at 90 and I start this one at 80, then I'm bound to bottom out lower this cycle than last. I'm going to see if avoiding the anti-nausea at night helps me not lose sleep later in the cycle. I guess I didn't blog that bit. After the big sleeps died off, I actually had a lot of insomnia, which I blame on withdrawal from the drowsiness inducing anti-nausea.

So I have my protein shakes and iced-cream all ready, and turkey and mayo so I can make bland high protein sandwiches when I have limited appetite and potentially mouth pain later this week. If you're a turkey and mayo kind of person, I insist that you are bland. Bland bland bland.

With great piquance, if only in spirit,
Ian Hogan.