May 7 - See Saw
Saturday morning, with a Starbucks bold coffee and a white chocolate blueberry scone. It’s been a variable week. Some ups, some downs and I’m left feeling a little worn out by it all.
Downs out of the way first. This is the first week I’ve really felt like the treatment was kicking the crap out of me. Monday was good. Tuesday was not, with a sense of unreality and the headache from hell. Took Tylenol. Wednesday was better, with the headache sort of percolating in the background of my brain, but not manifesting itself in any meaningful way. However, Thursday was brutal (I have found in the past that the day before shot day can be tough), the headache excruciating, skin burning, lights blazing, sounds screeching. Took Tylenol every 6 hours from when I got up until going to bed that night. Can’t believe I made it through the day at work. At work, a colleague I was with in the change room when we were getting out of our scrubs at the end of the day gasped at how thin I’ve become and how my ribs are “sticking right out”. Gee, I may not have lost any weight and may be consuming everything edible in sight, but my body weight is being somehow alternately distributed…. there’s just not much meat left on these bones. And the highlight – copious amounts of my already fine, red hair appear to be leaving my head with each shower and shampoo. How very, very nice. Have started using Nioxin shampoo, conditioner and leave-in hair treatment (many thanks to fabulous superstar girlfriend Barb, who included the Nioxin products in a care package for me at the beginning of treatment). As always, I am hopeful, optimistic, “the cup is half full” and so, on to the ups.
The ups are:
If this is as bad is it gets, then I can do it, just watch me! I may be little, but I have great strength. Shot 14 is now complete and there are only 10 left to go.
The week at work was great and I really enjoyed teaching and working with our new employee, who is a terrific addition to our team.
Thursday after work, went for an incredible Shiatsu massage with Allison, which left me feeling quiet, relaxed and in far less pain. Have another booked for next week. Allison showed me some pressure points to utilize to help cope with the headaches and fatigue. Have been tailoring the yoga to concentrate on my breathing and optimize the meditative aspects.
I finally charged up my discman and rediscovered the joy of listening to music while walking to and from work, and while going shopping, going for walks, doing pretty much everything. I’ve been listening to: Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Eyed Peas, Lauryn Hill, Blue Rodeo, Coldplay, Nora Jones and Dire Straights. Tomorrow, when Phil and I go shopping to pick up some Spring/Summer clothes for him, I am going to buy the Red Hot Chili Peppers best of 2 disc cd – expensive, but I love every song on it.
Also tomorrow, James and Annikka are coming over for Mothers Day and, incorporating Phil’s help, are making me barbecued steak, baked potatoes, asparagus and a mystery dessert for dinner. Yum!
The weather is finally nice, evidently reaching 22 degrees by tomorrow and sunny. Flowers are everywhere and it is impossible to feel down with such life exploding all around us! As I do get some allergies in the Spring, am conveniently blaming them for contributing to the slightly rough portions of the week.
A new week holds promise – I’m scheduled to work at the institution closest to home, which allows an extra ½ hour sleep each morning. There is a neuroscience focus at this location, a specialty area I particularly enjoy and so always look forward to this rotation.
My little sister Nancy in Montreal, the earth mother of us all, has said that she will be speaking with me everyday to check how I am doing – thank you so much Nan, you will never know how much it means. Happy Mothers Day to all nurturing caregivers out there.
Sue
p.s. Thought of an omitted "up" - purchased gorgeous new coral pink leather Italian low wedge round toed spring shoes, with small coral pink leather bows on top, and am all set to click my heels together three times saying "There's no place like home.... "
Downs out of the way first. This is the first week I’ve really felt like the treatment was kicking the crap out of me. Monday was good. Tuesday was not, with a sense of unreality and the headache from hell. Took Tylenol. Wednesday was better, with the headache sort of percolating in the background of my brain, but not manifesting itself in any meaningful way. However, Thursday was brutal (I have found in the past that the day before shot day can be tough), the headache excruciating, skin burning, lights blazing, sounds screeching. Took Tylenol every 6 hours from when I got up until going to bed that night. Can’t believe I made it through the day at work. At work, a colleague I was with in the change room when we were getting out of our scrubs at the end of the day gasped at how thin I’ve become and how my ribs are “sticking right out”. Gee, I may not have lost any weight and may be consuming everything edible in sight, but my body weight is being somehow alternately distributed…. there’s just not much meat left on these bones. And the highlight – copious amounts of my already fine, red hair appear to be leaving my head with each shower and shampoo. How very, very nice. Have started using Nioxin shampoo, conditioner and leave-in hair treatment (many thanks to fabulous superstar girlfriend Barb, who included the Nioxin products in a care package for me at the beginning of treatment). As always, I am hopeful, optimistic, “the cup is half full” and so, on to the ups.
The ups are:
If this is as bad is it gets, then I can do it, just watch me! I may be little, but I have great strength. Shot 14 is now complete and there are only 10 left to go.
The week at work was great and I really enjoyed teaching and working with our new employee, who is a terrific addition to our team.
Thursday after work, went for an incredible Shiatsu massage with Allison, which left me feeling quiet, relaxed and in far less pain. Have another booked for next week. Allison showed me some pressure points to utilize to help cope with the headaches and fatigue. Have been tailoring the yoga to concentrate on my breathing and optimize the meditative aspects.
I finally charged up my discman and rediscovered the joy of listening to music while walking to and from work, and while going shopping, going for walks, doing pretty much everything. I’ve been listening to: Green Day, Queens of the Stone Age, Black Eyed Peas, Lauryn Hill, Blue Rodeo, Coldplay, Nora Jones and Dire Straights. Tomorrow, when Phil and I go shopping to pick up some Spring/Summer clothes for him, I am going to buy the Red Hot Chili Peppers best of 2 disc cd – expensive, but I love every song on it.
Also tomorrow, James and Annikka are coming over for Mothers Day and, incorporating Phil’s help, are making me barbecued steak, baked potatoes, asparagus and a mystery dessert for dinner. Yum!
The weather is finally nice, evidently reaching 22 degrees by tomorrow and sunny. Flowers are everywhere and it is impossible to feel down with such life exploding all around us! As I do get some allergies in the Spring, am conveniently blaming them for contributing to the slightly rough portions of the week.
A new week holds promise – I’m scheduled to work at the institution closest to home, which allows an extra ½ hour sleep each morning. There is a neuroscience focus at this location, a specialty area I particularly enjoy and so always look forward to this rotation.
My little sister Nancy in Montreal, the earth mother of us all, has said that she will be speaking with me everyday to check how I am doing – thank you so much Nan, you will never know how much it means. Happy Mothers Day to all nurturing caregivers out there.
Sue
p.s. Thought of an omitted "up" - purchased gorgeous new coral pink leather Italian low wedge round toed spring shoes, with small coral pink leather bows on top, and am all set to click my heels together three times saying "There's no place like home.... "
posted by Sue, Toronto at 9:37 AM
7 Comments:
Hi Sue,
I started with Nioxin a month before treatment, and so far no hair loss, hopefully it will work as well for you too.
I had to stop using the shampoo though as my dandruff came back and my scalp became very itchy. I now use Head and Shoulders mild shampoo, I had to stop using the leave in conditioner for the same reason, but have stuck with the Nioxin conditioner throughout treatment.
Jonathan
Thanks Jonathan,
Am hopeful about the Nioxin. Know that it's vain, but the thought of losing my hair is just awful. I see chemo patients at work all the time without hair and remind myself that there are people going through much, much more hardship than I am. Worst case scenario - will purchase wig (there's a great wig store in one of the hospitals I work at). Suspect it won't get that bad though, as have heard that with interferon there's sometimes hair thinning, but not usually complete loss.
Sue
Hi Sue,
I look forward each Saturday to learning which flavor scone you are having. Sounds delicious!
The good news about hair is that I haven't had to get it cut in a couple of months.
Enjoy the music.
Peter
Hi Sue,
Vanity was a really important consideration for me even to the extent that the thought of loosing my hair was enough to make me consider never having treatment.
From what I have read about 30% of people on treatment loose some hair. Hair loss is a partial thinning as opposed to a full blown baldness. And to prove that I really did agonise about this... Your hair has 2 main phases growing and resting. At any one time 10% of your hair is in the reting phase, after a short rest most goes back to growing but some falls out. Interferon treatment effects the hair in the resting phase, so in theory you will loose at most 10% of your hair. (at least this is the logic I managed to convince myself about)
In the end I promised myself an expensive London salon hair cut if if fell out.
Jonathan
Hi Peter,
Believe I've commented before that I'll be associating starbucks and interferon for the rest of life. Those scones are great though and all other coffee pales!
Music is the best.
Sue
Thank you Jonathan - am feeling quite a bit better about the hair loss after reading your comment. Am also finding the nioxin shampoo really dries my hair/scalp. I've noticed that my hair seems to have stopped growing almost entirely. Did have a really good cut prior to commencement of treatment and haven't even required a trim to keep it in shape.
Sue
Hola Javier
Muchas gracias para sus comentarios amables. Usted habla ingles muy bien. Estudie espanol en l'universidad por un ano, pero no yo lo recuerdo bien. !Lo siento si mi espanol no es bueno!
Well, that's about as much as I can attempt in Spanish (took me about 15 minutes writing it down on paper and revising it about 10 times first!). Please excuse me if I've made any terrible errors and thank you so much again for your kind comments.
Sue
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