CHEMO ROUND 11.5
Friday morning was my normal trip to the oncologist. This has become routine. One week is chemo on Monday, the next week we see the oncologist on Friday…on and on it goes. Each Friday Dr. Saroha reviews blood work, talks with me about how I am doing and gives the green light for chemo the following Monday. This week as I talked about different side effects I was experiencing he decided that it might be a good idea to give me a week off of chemo. So, what was to be chemo round 12 has turned into chemo round 11.5.
The side effects which have caused Dr. Saroha to give me a week off are not significant (albeit uncomfortable). My bowels have not been functioning as they should and I have found it important to always know where the nearest bathroom is. I have purchased stock in Imodium and am researching how one can purchase the stuff by the case. It is a small and inconvenient side effect. Yet if left unchecked could cause greater disruptions to treatments down the road. The thinking is that if I take a week off of treatment and give my body time to gain strength the negative side effects will lessen and I should be good to go for treatment next week.
I am thankful for the extra week off of treatment. However, this change does mess up my treatment schedule when it comes to my plans for Thanksgiving. I will have to miss a treatment or two over the weeks surrounding Thanksgiving. My oncologist does not seem to mind, he even seems to think taking a break can be good. Yet there is something inside me which says, “if this treatment is making/keeping me healthy I do not want to be skipping treatments.”
I am looking forward to completing chemo round 12 and officially heading into “maintenance chemo”. [Read more…]
