Well… I’ve survived the first week of chemo. There have been some ups and downs along the way, but overall it hasn’t been too bad.

Days 1 and 2 were actually pretty good days for me. Other than being hopped up on Tylenol 3 for the pain from the insertion of the port (still not yet my friend). Days 3 and 4 were a little rocky. I’m calling these Queasy Days. That said, the queasy wasn’t all that bad. I’ve definitely felt worse with a hangover or two! It was just really consistent and enduring for the full 48 hours. Thankfully Day 3 could also have been named Sleepy Day – I basically spent that entire day napping. A nice, long 20-hour nap!

Day 5 had it’s own challenges, but…I still managed to celebrate Canada Day at the Jays game. Despite their poor showing, and having to leave after the 6th inning (believe it or not, I ran out of energy!), I was pretty happy to make it to the game. The Canada Day game is my favourite game of the entire season…mainly because I love the giant flag and singing our national anthem along with 48,000 or so of my closest friends!

I did have to pass on a couple of previously planned events this weekend. I was bummed about having to miss the City and Colour/Blue Rodeo concert at Niagara-on-the-Lake. But it was just too long of an event that was just a little bit too far from home. And without any proper bathrooms!

However, all in all, I feel like things are going pretty well. Other than the two queasy days, I feel pretty good, except that I get tired a lot. I usually last about six hours after waking up, and then I need a nap. Usually an hour-long nap means that I can be up for another couple of hours each day.

The biggest challenge has probably been the lifestyle changes. I have quickly become a germaphobe (no more hugs, please!), and there are a LOT of rules around the side effects of chemo.

I need to eat as soon as I feel hungry – without fail. So I’m snacking constantly, but every time I eat something, even just a few crackers, I have to brush my teeth with my new extra soft toothbrushes. And then I have to rinse with a lovely mixture of salt water or baking soda and water. This mouth care protocol is to help reduce sores in the mouth, so I have to be incredibly diligent when I eat. Every single time.

I also need to have at least eight glasses of fluids every day. And coffee doesn’t count. However there is good news… it turns out that ice cream is a fluid! For real! It’s in the manual they gave me!

If I’m leaving home, I have to make sure I’m covered in sunscreen at all times because chemo makes skin more sensitive to the sun. So once I lose my hair, I will need hats…special hats with SPF. I had no idea that I would need so many accessories.

I now also have to take my temperature every day to make sure I’m not developing any sort of fever. There’s no messing around with this one. If my temperature records at 38° C or higher, then I need to go to the nearest Emergency Room. With the chemo attacking my white blood cells, it means that I’m highly susceptible to germs. I have to wear gloves and a mask to clean the kitty litter (however I am lucky enough to have a great support team who is doing this for me!). I can’t share food or drink…so no more splitting dessert (darn!). And I’m supposed to avoid places such as crowded shopping malls and public transportation. I did get the okay to go to the baseball game…so we timed it to avoid contact with the crowds, and I went armed with hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes and a surgical mask! Not kidding!

So yup, there’s a lot of rules. I haven’t even scratched the surface here.  The manual I was given at PMH is 24 pages long. These are just the ones that I’m dealing with over the first week!

That said, I’m sure that these will all develop into habits and everything will seem a bit more routine in short order. And, for the time being, I’m still being well-looked after and spoiled rotten. Plus, my good friend Tanya did some shopping at https://www.giveacare.ca/ and on the weekend I received some Cancer Sux Sweetarts, a cute day-planner to organize the numerous medical appointments and a new hoodie that came with this tag: