Side Effects and Stasis

Saturday 18th December

You will note that it's been nearly three weeks since my last update, this is because life is pretty much normal and repetitive, in a three kind of way!

Most of my side effects are to be honest irritating rather than debilitating.

Obviously my hair is falling out and although I have a distinct lack of body hair (my armpits are as smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom), the hair on my head is just getting thinner and thinner. If it stays like this I shall consider that I have got off very lightly. Mind you given the current Arctic weather, wearing a hat is actually a necessity to avoid complete brain freeze.

The most irksome of the side effects is the cardboard mouth, as I like to call it. Basically, everything I eat during the middle week of the 3 week cycle, tastes and feels like cardboard. Moreover this sensation remains even when I am not eating. A curious result of this is that I seem to want to eat more and more. I think that this is because whilst I am actually eating the taste and flavour of the food is "correct" but the moment I have swallowed what is in my mouth, the cardboard sensation returns with a vengeance.

Another, slightly more painfully side effect is the skin on the tips of my fingers and the soles of my feet has become very hard and consequently cracks and then bleeds, which is, at times, excruciatingly painful and feels like I am walking on needles. However, Hannah has attended to my feet and lavished huge quantities of cream and kindness upon them and this seems to be doing the trick. Sadly my fingers are still suffering and I think this is because I am constantly washing my hands and can't always put hand cream on.

With regard to stasis, I find I am constantly saying "I'll do that when I have finished my chemo". Although, clearly I am getting on with things, I find that a lot of stuff I am putting off until then. Mainly because trying to fit things in to the 3 week schedule, when one week I am knackered and one week I am infectable does tend to reduce the window of opportunity somewhat.

Still, come the middle of February I shall be the original gadabout and social butterfly.