My drops of tears I'll turn to sparks of fire

Here's my starter for the next chemotherapy round.   Again, i'll do day by day updates. As a recap on the last couple of weeks, apologies if I have been quiet. This is mainly due to being back at work all of last and this week, so just being busy! Last week was punctuated with a spotty face and some loose nether regions, but otherwise normal.  We had a day off yesterday, to take the caravan to the dealership for a service and warranty work, and to mooch around the caravan and camping show.  Managed not to trade ours in (there was nothing we liked any better). Hair loss Last Sunday ("Day 17") my hair began to fall out more noticeably.  Today is Day 21, and I can easily draw my fingers through my hair and offer you 20 strands. It doesn't hurt. I have thick hair, so no-one can tell but me.   I suspect I may decide to shave it off in the next 7 days, though, as it may start shedding itself on everything and get annoying. The day before Thursday 22n...

I had clinic today. A chat with the oncology team to review any side effects and adjust medication, and taking of blood to ensure white cells are back up and well enough for the next round.   All is OK and we're all set for Friday's treatment. I mentioned the bone pain, and they'll give me extra steroids for that, however, when I came home I checked what I had been given and I think I have twice as many to take as last time anyway, so that might help.   I also mentioned a trial I had read about, and which everyone on the forums already seems to know about.   For those having chemotherapy for breast cancer, as well as pegfilgrastim injections, naproxen and loratadine were trialled to see if they ease the bone pain.   Naproxen helped, but gave people other side effects to deal with.  But Loratadine, an over the counter anti-histamine that is readily available, also helped -albeit to a lesser extent - and had no side effects.  It didn't h...

Today, mum and I headed through the snow (light flurries), into the sunshine of Cardiff and Salon Wills ' doors.   The staff there were fantastic. I showed them my Pinterest shortlist to give an idea of the kinds of styles and colours that I liked, and off she went to pick out a few candidates for me to try.     The first was just above shoulder length and with a middle parting that couldn't be moved.  No.   Too inflexible, and not the right parting position for me.   The next had a sweeping fringe across the front that got into my eyes.  I know I'd be permanently pinning that fringe up and would get fed up with it, so again, No.  The next was more red, and borrowed from the second lady in the shop who was gathering a selection of wigs to take to a home consultation.  She warned us that she needed it! But it was perfect. Chin length bob with a fringe and graduated back.  I don't normally wear a fringe, mainly becaus...

Apparently, the first Monday in February is traditionally National Sickie Day, the day most people call into work claiming illness. Well, I'm one of the stats this year, but I think I have a genuine excuse.  :)   I've been making the most of the most effective paracetamol point (about 30 mins after taking it) to hoover the house (the grit and dog biscuits on the floor was really getting on my wick - Greg and Sydney don't even see it), and thinking about this topic.  I chatted to a work colleague about this last week, and he reflected that it probably starts with the parents.  If you had the kind of parents who made you go to school unless you were visibly vomiting then you'll probably be the kind of employee who doses up with over the counter drugs, get to work and find that actually, you feel much better for having got on with your day rather than languishing in bed.    If you had parents who felt you needed to stay at home at the slightest hint ...

Last time I had chemo I did one post covering the week, to track day by day what happened.   It was quite handy to look back on, so I'm going to do that again.  I'll update and republish this post each day, so check back later in the week if you want to see updates. The day before Thursday 1st Feb - had my steroids at 8am with some breakfast, had a good day at work, including being given lots of good wishes from everyone, and a lovely bag of treats from a lovely colleague. Went to bed at 10pm feeling tired. Dozed for 45 mins before waking up completely until sometime between 2.30am and 3am. Had a headache. Slept until 6am. The day of Friday 2nd Feb - Got up at 7am and had a bath. Walked Sydney and was super speedy. Averaged 20 minute miles, rather than my usual 25 mins! Although often those 25 mins include a chat to my neighbours. Arrived at the hospital at midday, via the carpet shop to replace carpet that Sydney attacked a few weeks ago (I accidentally left t...