The side effects are calming down and I’m hoping that my body is soon getting a few days of recess. It has been working hard for almost a week to process the effects of the drugs and remove it all from the system. Cells have been broken down and need to be built back up and that is hard work. I’m a still quite fatigued, but my energy level has improved each day the last few days. I still need a lot of rest though. Anne Dorthea gave me a Norwegian audiobook today that I have truly enjoyed listening to while resting. Thank you!

Lesson learned is that I need to eat immediately if I feel the slightest bit of hunger. If I wait a few minutes too long it’s like falling off a cliff and I’m straight back in zombie land. My appetite is thankfully better, and James and Benjamin are my faithful chefs and servants at my beck and call. Eating also became much easier when some of the wholesome food items were switched out with some more fresh and crunchy vegetables and fruits. And Anine left some delicious blueberry muffins on our doorstep last night. Thank you!

I still have a few other chemo side effects than fatigue. Most of these we believe are due to how the Oxaliplatin is affecting the nerves. Hands are still occasionally numb and odd, but less so now than a few days ago. I’m still cold sensitive, but am ok with room temperature drinks and foods, but can’t have anything refrigerated. My vision is also blurry fairly often. The side effect I’m the least happy with at the moment is that I have tinnitus. It’s the same “sound” as I’ve had before when I’ve been in a room with too loud music for several hours, but now it doesn’t go away after a nights sleep. I’m concerned that this condition will not go away at all – or worse – that it will increase with each new cycle. It is not listed as one of the side effects of the drug, so this came as a surprise. It might not be the Oxaliplatin, but could be more related to the stress my body is going through. We will discuss this with my oncologist.

Today I had my picc line dressing changed at the hospital. Not very exciting to have to leave the house and throttle through traffic just to change a bandage, but it has to be done once per week. I suppose my skin would look somewhat awful if it wasn’t changed.

Tomorrow we have to throttle through traffic again, but to a different hospital to have a follow up appointment after my surgery. Good thing I not only have personal chefs and servants but chauffeurs as well. Benjamin is not fully embracing a jittery and nervous mother in the passenger seat but I’m sure he will get used to it – or put blindfolds on me next time.

I hope I continue to feel better day by day and will try my best to enjoy the coming week before the next cycle. It is hard to accept that I will be kicked back into the abyss again in a week, but it is inevitable and another frog that I need to eat. Frog aside – now I smell a tasty dinner by chef Benjamin coming up shortly.