Lisa's F-Cancer Blog

I am now officially halfway through Taxol and 3/4ths of the way through pre-surgery chemo!

Today was long, even though it was a non-Keytruda week. The bloodwork – which typically takes 15-20 minutes to come back – took about two hours!!

I asked what dose steroid I was given last week, as I suspected that it wasn’t lowered like it was supposed to be. Sure enough, I was right! So hopefully this week will be slightly easier in that respect. (Hear that, insomnia? Don’t make an appearance tonight!)

I’ve had to wear my readers a lot more lately as things are often blurry when I read. It didn’t quite feel like getting older was the reason. Again, I was right! (I’ll try not to let this get to my head.) Vision changes are a chemo side effect, including blurriness. It could be temporary; time will tell. I was advised to wait until after chemo to see an ophthalmologist, because there could continue to be changes during and after.

All in all, not too bad considering today is Friday the 13th!

So far this week has been more of the same, with the added layer of fatigue. When I went to acupuncture on Tuesday, Carol said I should get treatments weekly from here on out as typically at the halfway mark, things start to get more difficult. 

In other news, while trying to fall asleep one night, I penned this little ditty:

My head hair is growing in -

Salt and pepper, soft, and thin.

But I can just never win,


Because what I’d been fearing —

Despite my persevering —

Eyebrows are disappearing!


Slow progress or lack thereof.

But when push must come to shove,

I’d rather have it above!

This past week wasn’t a great one symptom-wise. It had the usual – bloody noses and stomach pains. And it was made even better by the reappearance of nausea.

On the plus side, I am more than halfway through chemo if you count the AC regimen. Five down of Taxol; next week I’ll be halfway through the second regimen.

For some reason, sometimes it’s difficult for the nurses to take my blood – even with the port. When that happens, they have me turn my head to the left and lay back. (Lie back? This English major doesn’t know.) Yesterday, we actually had to recline the chair all the way down. It’s all about positioning, apparently.

It occurred to me the other day that I should mark in my calendar when my Keytruda infusions are, since I continue with those even after chemo. I’m to be on Keytruda for a year, so that will likely end sometime in September. Well, when I wrote out the dates, I realized I had a conflict. My parents are going to Florida this spring for vacation. If all goes well, I’m planning to join them for a week (since I can work from anywhere). It’ll be after chemo ends and right before my surgery. Even though I’ll have to be careful in the sun, a different, warmer environment will be a much needed change of pace. Of course, I’m due for Keytruda when I’m there!

I asked about this yesterday, thinking maybe we could push it back a few days. I had a feeling even that might not work, since that would be literally the day before my surgery.

Thankfully, because Keytruda isn’t chemo, there’s more leeway. The answer I got back was that we can push it back until after my surgery, whenever I’m up for it. This won’t affect the outcome. Phew!

My parents – who have been coming every three weeks – are here now. Bonus: They get to join us tonight for Doran’s cabaret show, where he has a solo.

Now I’ll go look up the difference between lay and lie!*

*No, I won’t.

Today was long. We got to Magee at 9:30 am and returned home at 3:30 pm! Upon finishing up, I went to grab my jacket. Aaron stopped me and said it was in the mid-60s outside. And a week ago it was in single digits. Crazy!

First up was an echo, which I got in September before starting the A/C. It’s repeated upon finishing to make sure nothing has changed. Today was the earliest appointment I could get.

Since this was a Keytruda day, I met with someone from the care team. Today it was Alexa; she was great. For example, when I mentioned the stomach pain, she said chemo affects that because the full GI tract is impacted. Basically any mucosal surfaces are affected, which explains the nosebleeds. She said to use a saline spray in the morning and evening, which should help.

As for the bad taste in my mouth, Alexa said a lot of people notice it with water. I can put packets in it (like Gatorade) to flavor it. No thanks!

Since I’m basically starting menopause due to the chemo, I’ve been getting hot flashes multiple times a day. I asked how long chemo-induced menopausal hot flashes last. Alexa said it’s usually the most aggressive the first six months, but sometimes lasts longer. Adding Vitamin E might help (I’m going to need a bucket for all these pills!). I’ll also mention it to the acupuncturist. If nothing changes after 3-4 weeks, there are medications that can be prescribed to help me get through the chemo period.

Since I have yet to experience neuropathy, I asked if this means I’m in the clear or if it could still potentially occur. Alexa said I might still get it; she’s seen it arrive in the last two treatments. But current success is good and will hopefully continue. I was able to keep the mittens and booties on for the full hour, but I have a suspicion that was partly due to the fact that it had been several hours since I took them out of the freezer (even though they were in a cooler pack).

Alexa asked about the steroid, so I told her it caused insomnia. She said we could lower the dose. Hopefully that means I’ll get some sleep tonight!

In the waiting room, I saw several men wearing black t-shirts with a pink ribbon as part of the design. One said on the back, “Her fight is my fight,” with boxing gloves underneath. Loved seeing these partners being active supporters and not afraid to wear these t-shirts!

A woman I’ve seen most Fridays always wears something pink. Today she was decked out in a pink top, pants, and heels to match. Turns out it was her last chemo, so she got to ring the bell. She obviously wanted to go out in style!

A couple of my labs took a while to come back, so there was more waiting than usual. Before I was sent for treatment, Alexa called us back into the exam room. She said my liver numbers are creeping up. To rule out anything acute, she asked that I get an ultrasound.

Since I don’t like eating when I’m there (since it makes me feel sick and I can no longer eat whatever I was eating), and I hadn’t had anything since breakfast, I was anxious to finish up. My next two appointments will be earlier than today’s, so I’ll get home for a (possibly late) lunch – much better!

So I am officially done with chemo for 2022. Hopefully 2023 will be a better year – it’s the year I’ll finish treatment instead of start. It’s the year I’ll see my hair grow back instead of fall out. It’s the year I will hopefully be able to say the cancer is gone and I’m a survivor.

May 2023 be a good year for all of us! Happy New Year!

The night of my last treatment, I couldn’t sleep. I blamed myself for taking a 2.5 hour nap, when really, I should have been blaming Cancer, whose drugs were keeping me up. At one of my pee breaks, I realized it was likely the steroid. Last week I had insomnia and no afternoon nap. Duh!

Rosann mentioned sucking on an ice cube during treatment to ward off mouth sores during the AC. I wish I had known that tip!

The stomach pain continues, but now it’s not 24/7. I did hear about two supplements that might help, so I’ve ordered them. My arsenal is growing!

I’ve experienced a couple other side effects I was warned about — bloody noses and tastebud changes. I actually have a yucky taste in my mouth all the time. It’s not metallic, which is the most common. But when I drink water (one of my favorite thirst quenching liquids), I can taste it when I swallow. Super annoying. Some foods don’t have the same taste as they used to, but it’s unpredictable.

My hair is starting to grow back. It’s going to be a looonnnnngggg process, but right now I have a layer of salt and pepper fuzz. Thankfully it’s even!

Only one more treatment this year! (Wish that truly meant I was done, haha.)