Transition from Taxol to AC

I thought I would have posted already about the transition, but time has slipped away from me. It was not an easy one. The anxiety was real. The whole process is different and so are the side effects. I mean you get used to the side effects from one drug and then you have to get used to the side effects from another one.

The universe was not cooperating with me on this Monday. It was raining and not fun. The bagel shop didn't have my preferred bagels. Traffic in Atlanta - was traffic in Atlanta in the rain..... if you know you know. (worse than usual). There was a new nurse in the dr office, so they were going over procedures and you were there first test subject for them sticking the needle in your port. So anxiety was really getting the best of me.

All went well though. The new nurse did a great job of putting the port in. The visit went fine, and we were off to the infusion center. Keytruda was first. This is something I have had before with the Taxol every 3 weeks. It comes with its own set of side effects though. Then all the premeds.... Then the Red Devil or the Red Kolaid. This is a slow push and it takes about 10 or 15 mins. They push it slowly into your port. It is a weird feeling. I had two large syringes full of the stuff. Then on to the other chemo and they cooldown for the Paxman along with some fluids.

The after effects of the new chemo were dry mouth and with that came sores in the mouth as well (I also don't recommend eating pineapple right after this chemo especially if you get mouth sores with pineapple because of the acidity), I was really tired for several days, I got tingling and numbness in my toes and that happened one at a time). The queasy stomach was also real. You didn't know if you wanted to eat or throw up. And I felt like a walking woopie cushion on toddler legs. After the first week everything got a bit better. My toes are still a bit tingly, and I know I am weak. Eating has been a chore - not because I am not hungry - sometimes this is the case but not always. It is mostly making the choices of what can I eat. What smells good, what is good on my throat, what won't upset my stomach, what is good for me... etc. All these choices.

I have 3 more rounds of this chemo. 9 more weeks. You see the light at the end of the tunnel but its very dim. You know what is between you and that light and sometimes when you close your eyes - the light is very dim because you know what you have to wade/swim/ get tossed about - through.