The roller-coaster of Chemotherapy/Cancer recovery just keeps on rocking.
I’m four weeks removed from my final chemotherapy and I see continued improvement but struggle with the bad days.
Last week, or my fourth week past chemo, I felt pretty good for up to 5-6 hours a day. I’d be very tired in the evenings but willing to take that trade off. I got in the car and made a couple half-hour drives, walked more and pushed myself to speed recovery. I also got really brave/stupid and drove to Indianapolis (about a 45-minute drive) on Saturday and did well. I was quite hit that evening with fatigue though.
On Monday, I drove a half hour to visit my elderly mother, then added a 20-30 minute detour to pick up my laptop and came home very tired. I had a bit of chemo brain/fog Monday night and most of day Tuesday until evening. So I feel like I paid the price for a three-day period of higher-than-normal activity.
I got better last night because I had a couple of student visitors from the College where I work. That’s always good medicine.
My breathing is definitely improved from my lowered hemoglobin. I have been trying to address that with my diet and it seems to have helped. I’ll be very anxious to know my blood count Aug. 31. The day of my final treatment the count was down to 11 from a normal of 15 – or “pretty damn wimpy” as my oncologist suggested.
This Wednesday is a beautiful cool morning with rain in the afternoon forecast. So I’m hanging out on the porch writing, reading news, and planning a short walk. The rain this afternoon will keep me here doing a bit of housework and writing so a forced day of rest is probably a good thing.
I have a bit of adventure planned for tomorrow … another reasonable drive out of town to join a friend for lunch.
Cabin fever is definitely becoming an issue. I can’t do much at work because I’m on short-term disability. I have to have doctor’s clearance to go back and do much of anything. So that’s another two weeks.
Many of the afflictions and toxicity of six Chemo treatments have passed though not entirely. But, I’m getting there.
Lymphoma, My Stem Cell Transplant 