The Chemo Beast

I kept meaning to post this but chemo brain is real. Out of 16 weeks of chemo I have completes 11 so far. The first half was a chemo affectionately known as "the Red Devil" and it lived up to the name. Now the chemo I'm on is more pain, muscle spasms and fatigue. Five more weeks. Then I can focus on radiation. Five more weeks. 

Chemo is pretty shitty. Days get categorized into good or bad and the longer the chemo, the more the scale leans heavily onto bad days. Because of the COVID quarantine, support people aren't allowed in the infusion center, so I currently drive myself to and from the office each time. In addition to that, there are a few fun facts that I've learned in my personal experiences and some of the best advice I've found helpful. In no particular order, here are a few of them:

They give you two bags of anti nausea drugs as well as a bag of steroids before they even pump the chemo into you. Every time.
They also give you a white blood cell booster after that has a main side effect of bone pain.
You have to flush the toilet twice for 72 hours after because anyone who uses the same bathroom can get sick from it.
On the particular chemo I receive, my pee is bright red for 3-4 days after each infusion. Eww.
Smell and taste aversions are insane.
I was told to use plasticware instead of metal to help with the taste stuff and it's legit.
Even gum and my regular toothpaste became too "spicy" for my mouth. Bye salsa.
Oh. Fuck. The. Hot. Flashes. Help me, I'm on fire.
Electrolyte water makes hydration easier.
The fatigue is real. Too real. I thought I knew tired. I didn't.

So now every other week I get chemo and I try to push through for my "good week." I'm eternally grateful for my amazing support system. They keep me going. They inspire me. They are a huge part of why I will make it five more weeks of chemo.