How I feel after the second round of chemo
This round of chemo has been rather symptom-less, compared to last time. The oncologist removed one of the drugs completely, which she suspected caused the most physical and mental trauma for my body and mind.
This time, there’s been no neuroapthy; no weird tastes in my mouth; no sore throat, cough or loss of voice; no more dying fingernails, no shaking shivers. My skin pain was so severe last time that I cannot recall all of the other symptoms off the top of my head, but there were many (I’ve been documenting them).
Of course, I’m hyper-vigilant whenever I notice a change in my body, both knowing and not knowing what to expect.
This time I’m quite tired, and my skin is still very sore and dry, but not as excruciating as last time. Today my little toenail fell off, but it’s not painful. My fingernails are growing astonishingly fast.
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve had my first dealings with Centrelink and the NDIS, and convincing them that Ichthyosis is in fact permanent and severe, and has become more disabling because of the chemotherapy, is quite a challenge. Dealing with bureaucracy is by far the hardest part of having cancer.
I’ve had a huge week or so of socialising, and in between those events, I’m resting all I can. I’ve still been at home and in bed far more than I’ve been out. I’m excited that I finally have the brain capacity to read books again, and I’m currently deep into a brilliant audiobook. I have been able to write a lot more these past three months, which I’m loving (especially that it makes me feel productive). Writing helps me make sense of what’s happening, and it’s also a record for my medical team and others who may have Ichthyosis or another rare severe skin condition and get a cancer diagnosis (and their medical teams).
I am working a lot less right now – and I have a PayPal if you want to support me, by buying me a drink. No pressure. Thank you!
Image: a selfie of Carly, a woman with a red face, wearing a multicoloured neon tartan hat, and pink dress with red hearts on it. There are Strawberry Shortcake brooches on her dress. She’s smiling.
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