cycle three of six

I was the only one hooked up to chemo bags today(well Monday). Everyone else was there for diagnosis, radiation or blood tests.

The first day of every cycle is a three bag day, a litre of saline solution for hydration followed by cisplatin then followed by etoposide, always in that order. once the chemicals are hooked up i get an anti nausea shot and a small steroid shot into the line before the drip is started.

I suspect without the steroid shot I would really have a tough time with eating, still I am doing well, i snack on hummous endlessly, make myself fluffly scrambled eggs and omelettes and if all else fails (even mango sorbet!) I blend up a vanilla protein shake that promises all 22 amino acids and all the nutrition that i could need.

Bottom line, I know what is needed so I find ways to make it happen..poor nutrition = weakened immune system= they stop the chemo till you recover enough to survive it= slow down in treating the real issues. Not what I want, and here I do have control.

So I eat. Right now it is 4:40 am and i can squeeze another hour and a half sleep out of the night.My sister and I are trying different arrival times between 8:30 and 10:00 to see how early I get hooked up.Today (days two and three are one bag days, just the etoposide) if I finish by 11;30 and it is bright and sunny we are going to the east coast to get exactly the picture i need for the print ad then we will swing by the Beach House where they do a buffet lunch for BDS$36 (approx US$18) on week days. Supposed to be good.

Anyway, I am going back to bed to nap until at least six thirty, keep my feet up to avoid them turning into swollen lumps, then my newest shower routine (definitely need pix to demonstrate and describe how this works, it sounds awkward) then back to my second home to get 'on line' again. First though some Rocher chocolate balls (two) those great hazelnut thingies...maybe I'll get some pink or blue back in my dreams...