I’ve completed the 4 AC rounds and this week was the first of the Taxol rounds. No matter what, it feels good to be in the second half of the chemo! I just have to avoid the autumn cold season and stay healthy.
By all accounts the Taxol is supposed to be easier on the side effects. Right off the bat it’s easier on the wallet. The copay for the prescription meds that are taken with the AC was ~ $60 every 2 weeks; for the Taxol it’s $10 for the whole 2 month series! The main side effect of Taxol is that almost every one is allergic to it to some extent. This allergic reaction is managed thru steroids the night before and during the infusion and a big dose of Benadryl in the infusion. I found the combination of steroids and Benadryl to be very confusing – I was wired and tired at the same time – Twired!
Feels like the winds of change are blowing in other areas of my life too:
Work - we have a new boss at work and it feels like there are org changes coming down the pike as well as changes in direction/focus. I am still very thankful for the support at work – it is very helpful on many levels to continue working as much as I can through the chemo.
Money - I’m in the process of refinancing my house . This time it served as a major reality check on my balance sheet. What did I spend my paychecks on last year?.... oh yeah, eating out a lot and buying wine:) It was fun, though! But now back to reality and getting my 2008 tax return done for the refi…. Maybe a purple ( I mean Grape) popsicle will help…!
Treatment - I feel like I am out of the “deer in headlights” phase of dealing with the diagnosis and into more of a resolution/action space. I’m also past ( for now at least) the hard work of deciding what the treatment plan will be and can now focus on getting through it with as few detours as possible. And, for some reason, getting through the difficulty of the AC and into the relative ease of Taxol has changed my focus and made me feel like I might want to start treating more than the cancer. I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for – maybe meditation, massage, acupuncture, music, aromatherapy – who knows? But it feels like I would like to start giving my mind, body and spirit a lot of TLC. Ideas welcome!
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