A few days after starting Ibrance (a pill form of chemo) It knocked me down hard. All I wanted to do is sleep. My legs and arms felt like they weighted 500 lbs each. Thanks to chemo coma, I cried at a drop of a hat, I couldn't focus on a thing. ..couldn't read with out feeling mushy.
I was being held hostage by chemo coma. All I could think of was,really 21 days of this?
It did get better, I suppose my body started to get use to it. On the bright side I didn't get nauseous with it, and after a few days, I would have a couple pretty good days....kind of 3 off 4 good . Okay so I can live with that.
Other side effect-
Dry skin- Everything on my body feels like sandpaper....and my hairless head was crazy itchy!
Change in taste buds- This was very interesting- Foods that I loved now taste like Iron. I found it hard to eat more than a couple bites of any kind of food. So I began eating like a bird...just a few bites every-hour. Crazy thing...I would have a craving for something....like tomatoes, pickles, popcorn and potatoes which I call my safe foods....they always taste normal.
After 14 days on Ibrance I came down with a cold...oh joy. So I had to go in for a blood test....which came back too low. My white blood count...so now I had to take my temperature every two hours checking for fever...fun!
Lucky I made it through that with not one high temperature (nothing over 99, if it had I would be heading to the doctors)
The truth of the matter is that, medicine is as much of an art as it is a science. Each of us is different and will react different to all kinds of things.
Despite all this, yes, I think I maintained a Happy Day attitude. Happiness is an attitude, a choice. I'm trying to stay true to the decision that I made when we found out that I had Breast Cancer. No amount of pain or misery could break my spirit that I know this is not my "life" it is something I'm passing through, and I'm trying to learn as much from the misery and pain as I can.
The Lord has blessed me in so many ways. With the best doctors. The best doctors are the ones who are not threatened by your questions and encourage you to ask them. They are focused on you the patient, they have no ego, all support. All collaboration.
Wonderful family.
A very supportive husband. Which bless his heart tells me how beautiful I am everyday. ( I'm not so silly to think that is true...in fact right now I think I look somewhat like a robot monster. No hair, and black and purple!
A couple days ago I took a nasty spill and hit my head about as hard as you can hit it on the hard floor. Nothing too bad happened....just a really nasty goose-bump and now both of my eyes are black and purple down to my cheekbones) so ...happy day what else can I do to make myself look good? (smile)
During this time it hasn't been all chemo, pain, and bruises.
We had several family gatherings- Sunday soup and sandwich and a family ornament exchange.
We attended a Church Christmas Breakfast with Santa and real Train rides in the Church parking lot.
Aren't these decorations so cute! Check out my IG account teresaandersen1 to see more about this activity.
I attended a fun school Christmas program-
We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas day that we shared with Mason and his cute little family!
Jessica, Ayden, Mason and Alene
We spent a few days at our cabin with Shannon and family.
We had a wonderful time bringing in the NEW Year with this crew!
We are also in the process of building a pool-
Today they are finishing up on the brick and tile. We have vintage brick on the edge and a creamy tile under that to go with the color of the rock on our home.
We are expecting a big storm tomorrow and rain for about a week...so I think it will be awhile before we finish up.
Though chemo had me feeling so tired at times I couldn't think....I still think it could of been worse. On the "baddest" of days I think I was still able to find hope, through a hug, sleeping through the night, being about to eat something, etc.
I'm on my 7 day break from chemo now...hoping to recharge my body some. So my goal this week is doing whatever I can. Even if that means just doing laundry , emptying the dishwasher, reading, writing this post. etc. Also to try and get my brain to work again and hoping to walk more than 5 minutes without having to sit down.
Next week is a big week at Stanford- bone infusion, blood test, meeting with all my doctors to see how things are moving along... we plan to be there two days just to work it all in. (spending the night....driving bay area traffic two days in a row...not fun!)
I believe that the trials I have been allowed to pass through (though I would never ask for them, or wish on anyone else) but it so be that this trial is my lot...than I hope that I can learn from it and maybe gain wisdom, humility and love. If nothing else help me to be a better person and have greater compassion. If I can't in some small way I'm letting this cancer win in a spiritual way not just physical.
(picture before bruises)
I'm thankful for my life, and blessed beyond measure with the people who surround me with love.
I believe in the atonement of Jesus Christ , that through Him and His sacrifice , if I live to follow Him and His commandments...all will be well.
Happy Day
