Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Pills Galore + a third of the way done (sort of...)

Hey Guys,

So the other day I've decided to take count of all my pills... there are sooooo many - I feel like an old person! I have one of those pill organizers that has all of the days of the week, with slots for AM and PM. So far, in the mornings I take between 10 and 15 pills (depending on what day it is) and about the same in the evening. It seems like every time I go into the hospital, I have a new prescription for some new side effect that has developed since the last time I was in.



So far, the worst side effects have been the nausea (ew) - with the first treatment of each cycle, it's not so bad (usually just a tiny bit that evening) but so far with the second treatment, it's been pretty bad. I had my last treatment on Monday, and I'm still having a lot of nausea. I have about four different prescriptions to help the nausea - each one is a little bit stronger, and some of them make me pretty confused & loopy (one I haven't even taken yet because it's supposed to be pretty potent), but between the combination of them, I've been able to eat pretty well and keep up my weight.


The other side effect that has been KILLING me is the hot flashes! When I had my first treatment, I got a shot called Lupron, which is supposed to stop my period for three months. What they didn't tell me was that it's basically putting me through menopause. I've been getting the most horrendous hot flashes that make me turn so red that it looks like I've got a really awful sunburn - so much so that Stephanie told me it looked like I'd been out in the sun a lot! I'm on a new prescription right now to help with those, so hopefully in a few days that will take effect and I can stop sitting around with a cold washcloth on my head!



Also, since my hair has mostly fallen out, I've got a new way of styling it - with a lint remover! It feels so ridiculous, but it's the only way I can keep all of the tiny little hairs from falling out and getting stuck on/in my clothes and itching a whole lot.



Today I also got some good news - I met with the Undergrad Dean at CCM about taking my fall semester here in Cincinnati. So far, so good - I just need to email all of the individual professors for each class to make sure that they're willing to take a "non-matriculated student," and I'll be all on course for making sure I can graduate "on time"(ish)

So far, that's all for now - Molly's wedding is on Saturday, so I'll have plenty to fill you in about & lots of pictures to post soon!

Lots of Love,
Lauren

No comments:

Post a Comment