Like a ton of bricks

It's been almost a week since my first chemo treatment and I can honestly say I'm feeling pretty alright. Had you told me I'd be saying that on Sunday when I woke up and felt like I'd been hit by a bus, I would have said you're insane. But, here I am saying it. Don't get me wrong, the side effects have kicked in and this $h!t ain't pretty but I'm alive to tell the tale. :)

Last weekend we took a trip to the central coast to celebrate my brother's birthday. We had a day of wine tasting planned, along with BBQing & just general relaxation. I was very excited for a weekend getaway. I wasn't sure when my side effects would kick in, I was sort of a sitting duck. I had terrible back pain on Friday but, for the most part, that was it. Saturday, I was tired but didn't feel horrible. Then I made the mistake of eating pizza that night and woke up with heartburn in the middle of the night. You guys, I get heartburn now. I'm like an 85 year old. Then Sunday morning rolled around & holy crap did this chemo ever show me who's boss. LIKE A TON OF BRICKS. I woke up and felt like I had the worst hangover ever. One giant chemo hangover. I seriously can't understand how people voluntarily drink enough alcohol to make themselves feel like this anymore. And believe me, I've got some experience. I was exhausted, my head hurt, my stomach was doing flips & I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a dark hole and come out when it was all gone. Instead, we got in the car & sat in traffic back to the bay area. It was the longest car ride of my life. 

Needless to say, Sunday was bad. I woke up Monday morning and dragged my sorry ass into work. And I'm glad I did! The minute I walked out of the house, I felt better. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful and it actually felt nice to be at the office. Today, I'm happy to report that I'm even better. Side effects so far: headache, fatigue, stomach sensitivity, mouth pain/sensitivity (I can't go near spicy food anymore!), heartburn & just some general aches and pains. That list sounds pretty bad but it's all manageable. The good thing is there are meds for every side effect except the fatigue. All I can do for that is rest & also stay as active as possible. 

Some of you have asked me what my chemo schedule is. In all its glory:

Treatment #2 - 4/15

Treatment #3 - 5/6

Treatment #4 - 5/27

Treatment #5 - 6/17

Treatment #6 - 7/8 (woohoo!)

I have an appointment on Thursday to meet with a woman about a wig. LOL, that sounds fake. "I'm here to meet with the guy about a thing." I can honestly say that I've never had to put "Wig Appt" on my calendar before. First time for everything! I'll likely lose my hair within the next two weeks and the minute it starts to fall out, Matt is pulling out the clippers and shaving it off. I hope he's been honing his skills. I'm mentally preparing for that day but I imagine it will still be quite emotional. I hope I'm brave enough to rock a bald head in public but I don't know if I will be. Only time will tell. In the meantime, I'll have a really great wig and a large hat collection. 

xo,

Ali