The Joys of Chemo

Cycle 5 Chemo Selfie

So, my surgery went really well and they got clear margins around the cancer, so I'm having chemo to make sure no sneaky cancer cells made their way into my lungs and liver. There was nothing to suggest this on my scans, but sometimes the cells are too small to pick up on scans.

My doctors have me on the FOLFOX regimen which is three different drugs, every fortnight I go to the chemo unit and have an infusion which lasts 2 hours and then I go home with a pump full of Fluorouracil which lasts a further 36 hours.

36 hour Fluorouracil Infusion

I just had Cycle 5 yesterday and I'm feeling pretty sleepy. First few days after chemo is pretty hard work. I'm very tired, sickly and generally a bit miserable. Luckily, this only lasts a couple of days and I get roughly a week of feeling myself and I can get out and about before the next round. I suffer quite a bit with peripheral neuropathy, basically any cold stimulus to my hands or feet sets of intense pins and needles and I can't drink any cold drinks because it causes my throat to go into spasm. Cold air tends to do the same with my throat. 

You know the worse thing? When you're told you can't have something you just want it so much more! So here I am craving orange juice! Roll on August (last round of chemo is due July 23rd) when I can have ice cream!!