The Corner is Turned

Or perhaps the light switch is flipped......really I am not quite sure how to describe it.

Friday was day 4 after chemo and, again, it was the worst day.  Total exhaustion then the bone pain started again in the late afternoon in my jaw. Such an annoying sensation, it is sort of like the pressure feeling of a sinus headache but in the bone. My jaw almost feels swollen and the bone will explode outward. So unpleasant.
So, Friday ended with an unhappy face and total exhaustion. Yippee.

Then Saturday morning it was like I was in a whole new body. My face was still uncomfortable but the overwhelming fatigue was gone. It no longer took effort just to smile.
It's no wonder you have to go into chemo with a positive attitude. It is fact that it takes more effort to frown than smile. Considering how tiring it has been to smile this week there is just no hope in having the energy to frown!

Breakfast was buttermilk pancakes. Yes, they are one of my favorite foods. I am glad the cancer agency has them on the list of suggested foods for chemo patients.

In the afternoon I finally ventured outside for the first time since Tuesday. Such an exciting experience:)
Ian coated my head in sunscreen since the sun was out. Hopefully the blinding white will fade a bit soon.
In general, I started feeling like a human again.
I was a little concerned about how I would cope with the second round and overall I would say that it was better than the first round. It does seem to be true that the devil you know is a little easier to deal with.

Especially the bone pain.  When it started happening the first time it was kind of scary.  First off just the feel of bones that want to explode, but then I started wondering if there was something wrong.  Had I suddenly been overrun by mutantly aggressive cancer cells?  Were the chemo drugs eating my bone from the inside out?  And, most importantly, could my face really explode????
And after a few days it went away.  No visible consequences.  Whew.

Saturday ended with me in a partial human state and an uncomfortable face.  That I can handle.  The bone pain did wake me up in the middle of the night.  My face was better but the exploding bone feeling was in force from the knees down in both legs.  Almost as uncomfortable as the face.  Fortunately chemo keeps me tired enough that I can fall back to sleep pretty easily.  When I woke up a few hours later there was just a hint of discomfort in my legs and my face and that was it.

This being Sunday things have continued to improve.  The bone pain is gone now (2 days sooner than the first time.  That it definitely an improvement!) and I am able to stand up for a few minutes at a time without wanting to vomit or requiring a half hour nap to recover.  That is real progress.

And one last item of note, my appreciation goes out to Abby who has a registered a team in my name for the CIBC Run for the Cure in Vancouver.  The team name is Sheryl's Specimens so please sign up to participate if you are able.  The run is scheduled for the end of September  and I will post more details (and maybe even a link if can get my techy skills back online) soon.