Day 11 - Hydration

So I really felt like I was on the mend when writing my last entry, which makes me a little hesitant to write similar comments today. After writing my day 9 entry I continued to feel a bit better for a few hours but that all changed in the afternoon. Being day 9 I had to go get my Bleomycin. The car ride was a struggle but we made it there OK. I got the bleo which only takes 10 minutes and the nurse also gave me a small bag of fluid by IV because I had been feeling so crappy. On the way home I got a wicked headache and stiffness in my neck which I'm still fending off with extra strength Tylenol. Overnight I started throwing up and by morning I felt the worst that I had felt so far. My clinic nurse called to check on me and between her and Adrienne they set me up to get back into the hospital yesterday afternoon for more nausea drugs and hydration. Adrienne had to practically get me dressed and into the car. Thankfully, and as usual, her parents took Anthony for the rest of the day so we could go spend another afternoon in the hospital.

The nurses got me in right away and hooked me up. I got some nausea drugs and a big bag of fluid over the course of a few hours and was back home in bed by 6 PM. I also got a new prescription for nausea drugs, ondansetron. The pills are $11 a pop (thank you health plan) but seem to be working much better. The whole experience I will remember as my least favourite part of chemo so far but if my wonderful wife didn't force me out of bed and to the hospital like a drill sargeant I really don't know what kind of state I would be in right now. I've drank a few bottles of Gatorade and water, tried some of another boost this morning and am feeling slightly better. Other than Bleo again on day 16 I have 10 days to just get myself ready for cycle 2. I really hope to be more prepared.

If anyone's looking for a sure fire weight loss technique, try getting dehydrated during chemotherapy. It's helped me lose about 11 lbs this week. Also, in a few days my hair will start falling out which may include my back hair so I should be about ready for the beach with little effort and no waxing required. Maybe a bit late for this summer...