Chemo Session Two Update

Well, I'm on Day 13 of the 21-day chemo cycle and have been on the road for more than a week now. The first five days of this cycle were fairly challenging, although it was an improvement over the first cycle because this time I didn't have to deal with constipation. The opposite still proved to be a challenge, unfortunately. But my last day of being really lousy was a little over a week a go.

This time around mouth soreness was more of an issue than it had been the first cycle. Some effects of chemo are supposed to be cumulative and I sure hope that's not one of them. If it is, I won't be able to eat by October.

That being said, I've been "less good" to myself in some ways during this cycle. It may be a ridiculous thing to say, but taking care of yourself takes a lot of thought and effort. My lifestyle choices pre-cancer were haphazard at best-- lazy choices, really. I gave little thought to what I put into and what I did with my body on a daily basis. During my first cycle, I had more supervision and more help-- foodwise especially. Left to my own devices, I lean toward making the lazy choices again.

In other ways, I've been "more good" to myself, especially when it comes to resuming a more active and engaged life sooner after chemo. I was on a plane on my way to my last-ditch summer vacation/family visit on Day 6 (I didn't get there til Day 7 due to flight delays caused by Our Fair President landing his crazy ass in Cleveland right when I was supposed to switch planes. And I spent Night 6 in a hotel paying a little for perhaps being too "up and at-'em" a little too soon). By Day 8, I was walking extensively. And by Day 9, I was eating relatively regularly. On Day 10, I even had a glass of white wine.

Today I am almost myself. A little more worn down, but feeling pretty good.