Okay – here we go, treatment six. Any takers on whether or not I keep my cool (keeping cool, aka not vomiting)? After last week’s experience at the hospital maybe that ‘exposure therapy’ will make a difference. Actually I’m optimistic.
This week I’ve got fresh blood, and rest, and . . . hope?
Zsolt was reading that people’s number one fear with chemotherapy is nausea. I totally agree. Last treatment was my first without any nausea – and every moment for the following few days I waited to feel that lurch in my stomach. Wait, wait, wait. Didn’t happen.
Today I’ll wait again, with a little more hope that it won’t happen.
Things we’ll bring to the chemo ward:
My new toque (hat, beanine)
Eat Pray Love (I’m enjoy this book – though the chemo makes me tired, so maybe I won’t get around to reading today)
Mp3 player (only to drown out chemo conversations I don’t want to hear: “oh yeah, I was sick as a dog last week . . .” etc)
Blanket
Orange slices
Water
Patience
Last chemo I was so tired afterwards the only thing I could do was sleep. Even as the treatment progressed I become more and more desperate to drift away. It was something like a long flight – I can never sleep on those planes, but oh, do I ever fantasize about my bed. Same with the chemo chair, comfortable enough (for a chemo chair) but not my bed.
Anyhow – here we go again. Fresh blood. Rest. Hope. And no getting sick. No getting sick.
Fingers crossed. 🙂
Another question I need to ask myself: Having now missed two treatments, should I lose those chemo sessions or have them? Frankly – I don’t want them. But how will my overall success be impacted by missing treatment? One doctor said that I shouldn’t miss any. Another doctor (or was she the head nurse?) said that people often stop about 10/11 treatments because of the side effects. Who can I talk to in order to clear up this confusion? I don’t know. I just don’t know. Zsolt isn’t happy with my missing 2 treatments. One was fine, two makes him uncomfortable.
What the heck am I supposed to do, and how can I make an educated decision?
Bumpyboobs ~CatherineBrunelleWrites 
Hi Catherine,
You sound well prepared for this session, bringing along those things which comfort you. Gold star for preparation 🙂
Since I sometimes get nauseous when I’m doing my physical training with JP, he showed me another trick:
1) For nausea, press hard on the acupuncture point on the inside of your arm, in the middle, about 2 1/2 inches above the wrist. It works better when someone else does it for you… it works when JP does it, less so when I try to do it to myself. JP presses really hard, and my nausea is not as pronounced. He also tried to get me to breathe deeply and slowly since I tend to hyperventillate.
2) For dizziness, like I mentioned before, I press my finger nails to the side of my fingers near the nail bed. JP says this helps to wake me up. It works when he does it and also when I do it to myself.
I’m learning through JP which acupuncture points help me out. I think acupuncture/acupressure points are pretty cool, and you can access them any time (as long as you know where they are and which ones work for which symptoms).
Sending my best wishes your way.
Dear Catherine,
Hope the blood was ok and that you ad your treatment. I think that you can feel inside what is the answer to your question.
Thinking at you both
Andrée XX