Side effects and such

Wednesday was a GREAT day. Have had other chemo folks tell me that the day after is often their best day. Sure was for me. Got a bunch done at home in the morning and stopped to say hi to my department on my way to the Y. Not my usual workout level but I was there and moving.

The next morning I was still on a roll so I stopped to see my buddies in case management. I needed to see my girls! It was a great visit. Good for my spirit. We developed the “acute care hug”. Stand a few feet apart , arms out and do the long distance hug thing. Figure if my immune system is being suppressed the last people I need to hug are those working in a hospital or a school.

Side effects are always a big question so of course we asked what to expect. Surprisingly, neither of these drugs tend to cause major hair loss so we’ll see about that.

Gemcitabine can within the first 5 days give you a bit of “gem flu”. Just like any old flu you can get joint aches, chills, the usual but a short course. Got mine Thursday afternoon, day 3. Rolled in at about 1:30 and lasted until about 9:00. All in all, not terrible. Thankfully did not feel like I’d been hit by a mack truck. More like the sedan/mini van variety. Hung out in the recliner, still able to eat a bit and stay hydrated. Snoozed, read. Betsy stopped by at the perfect time and chatted with me through my sleepiness.

Of course there is always the famous chemo nausea. Had some off and on for the rest of the week and an energy dip around 4:30 each day that didn’t even require a nap. Just had to sit and chill for a bit. Staying hydrated and eating smaller amounts more frequently helped work through the nausea since I knew I’d get fussed at on Tuesday if my weight dropped. I finally gave up trying to figure out the belly aches and just started referring to them as “ooky tummy” - a highly professional term : )

Felt much better by Sunday afternoon. Good thing because Monday we get back in the car.