Had my forth session on Wednesday. No. 3 the doctor dropped off the blarmison or what ever it's called. The B of the ABVD (for Hodgkins lymphoma). This was due to my lung function test, I'm still stuffed up and healing from the lung surgery. This last treatment I got a minor cold, runny nose and mild sore throat which thankfully didn't progress into anything more. My bloods came back borderline on low. Neutrophils were 1.5, hb was 111, I started with 136 and my platelets have always even higher than normal at around 478. This time they were 'normal' for the first time at 346. Lucky I had a lot of them to loose. Already this is shaping up to be a really crap session, I'm still positive and all but the symptoms are slowly getting a lot worse. My eyes are always dry and painful or uncontrolebly watering in the wind. I'm so vague I can't follow a conversation too well. I'm just plain tired. Still sticking through, exited that I'm 1/3 of the way and after 2 more treatments I get to have another pet scan that will tell me if I'm kicking cancers ass. I guess to pass on the info to help others not feel alone one of the hardest things for me to deal with is intimacy with my beautiful devoted partner. It's not exactally on the top of my list of things to do. I know he understands but I hate feeling like I'm disappointing, I mean in my head it works but in reality I am dealing with chemo and cancer. Also my hair has thinned a great deal, but if I shave it short you can't tell, it's when it grows about 1cm that you see the patches and fluffy bits left. I don't mind I've decided not to wig it, everyone has complemented me on how much it suits me. I'm quite young and I was born a Caesarian so I guess I pull it off. My partner and I went to dinner and the waiter complemented me then asked if I minded if he could know what actually made me decide to shave my head, I told him it was cancer and he was shocked the look on his face was like 'shit I crossed the line' I then laughed and said thanks for the complement I mean you can't tell it's patchy I don't look like I have cancer, he said not at all and it really actually suits you. That was a great night. That's pretty much my update. Just hanging in there, I hope this has helped someone. Also thanks to everyone who replies. I know I suck a little because I don't respond often but the alert email comes straight to my phone and the replies always put a smile on my face, that and it's been a while because I forgot my password and never got around to doing anything about it, hahaha. Just thought I'd share.
3 Comments
kasianne
Contributor
I decided to not wig it as well apart from being bald in the middle of summer in tropical north Queensland I decided that it is other people that seemed to have a problem with my baldness rather than me and my husband is completely bald as well so we made a right pair walking around the shops. His favourite pastime is to walk down the hair product aisle in the supermarket and declare how much money he saves every week on hair products and it is funny to look at the faces of passer by's there was the one time he stood there looking at shampoos and declared as people walked past that he wouldn't recommend that shampoo as look at my hair now, felt it was great to have a sense of humour about it and I have to say I was pleased I had a nice shaped bald head so all was good. Hope the rest of your treatments go well.
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Rubes1984
Contributor
Alanahatz, Glad ur 1/3 way through ur treatment and know we are all behind u keeping our fingers crossed the treatment is working! It's lovely when u get a complement about a shaved head (i too decided to shave after losing over half my hair and huge patchy bald bits at the back). I'm not into wigs either but do have a huge selection of beanies and scarfs to keep my head warm and safe from sunburn. Hope things continue to progress in ur favour and u are kicking some cancer ass! Take care Rubes
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SILLY
Super Contributor
Wishing you all the best with the PET . Hope all goes well .
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