Symptoms for Day 2 and Day 5 after my first chemotherapy session have been like those of a horrible holiday. Day 2 involved a (short-lived) heat rash, as if I had been out in sunshine and got slightly burnt whilst wearing a sleeveless dress with a low neckline. However, Day 5 has led to an all over general achiness of the variety that usually follows on from camping on firm, lumpy ground in damp weather. Well, in its way, that’s interesting. At least it’s quite a familiar and (so far) manageable feeling.
But what should I have expected? My ‘sun lounger’ was an armchair on the oncology ward and my ‘cocktail’ was acid in my veins. The cliché “What’s your poison?” has sadly never been more appropriate for me. Especially when my answer could only be along the lines of: “Pertuzumab? Trastuzumab? Docetaxel?” Or even: “Whatever you’ve got! Why don’t you surprise me? I absolutely trust you to create something truly special!”
So, I guess I just need to radically adjust my expectations now. For example, if no ice is available to go with my ‘cocktail’, definitely there is no need to worry! I’d be delighted to have one of those wonderful, foot-shaped, frozen, cooling gel pads for my forehead instead! To be honest, I adore them! I think they might be perfect for dealing with ‘hangovers’, for ‘sunburn’ and for pretty much every type of ‘holiday’ disappointment. That's lucky then.
