Category Archives: chemo days

Precocious

Posted on September 28, 2012 by

I ended up in the ER last night with a 39 degree fever. I felt as miserable as I ever have; my throat felt like it was pierced with daggers, my head felt like it’d been bludgeoned, I was chilled … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Clinical trials, Indignities of the human body | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Adjustment

Posted on September 24, 2012 by

My throat is sore and I am tired. I slept nearly 12 hours last night. I do not think any of these things have to do with Friday’s chemo, but if I were to say to someone my throat hurts … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Clinical trials | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Sweet sixteen

Posted on July 18, 2012 by

Sixteenth treatment today. It was completely sweet, and dreamy Jimmy kissed me almost on the lips and asked if I’d go to the drive-in with him. Actually, I just ate a lot to stave off the nausea and had weird … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Second recurrence | 3 Comments

Up and down

Posted on June 29, 2012 by

I had chemo number three this week. It was much easier than the second (which was absolutely brutal) and I suspect that’s due to the nurse doing a slow titration, starting with a low concentration of the chemotherapy agent and … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Indignities of the human body, Second recurrence | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

The first cut is not always the deepest but sometimes it is the one that refuses to heal

Posted on May 26, 2012 by

I have a small cut on my toe. It became infected. Welcome to the nadir of my immune system for chemo cycle one. What did you cut it on, my doctor asked. I don’t know, I answered. You must know. … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Indignities of the human body, Second recurrence | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Long weekend

Posted on May 20, 2012 by

I’ve been wandering around (or lying down, or sitting down, or leaning against a wall) wondering why I feel this malaise that I don’t remember from the start of chemo last year. I’m noticing the movement of my body feels … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Indignities of the human body, Second recurrence, this is me | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The third first impression

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Greetings from the bathroom floor. It seems this third cycle of chemo is presenting itself with that most stereotypical of side effect — nausea. I’ve just been hanging out here, dry-heaving for the last 45 minutes. Thought I’d dodged it. … Continue reading →

Posted in chemo days, Indignities of the human body, psychosocial oncology, Second recurrence | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments