Getting it right
It is not even 24 hours past treatment, and I am up and around, updating the blog, and generally feeling pretty darn good, considering I was just pumped up with poison (good poison, but poison nonetheless)! I'm not exactly sure what made this time go so much more smoothly. I have some theories, which I will of course share with you:
1. Lots and lots of anti-anxiety meds. I took a klonopin before I left the house and an ativan in the chemo suite.
2. In addition to those sleep-inducing pills, they gave me benadryl through the IV to help prevent the adria flare-up that occurred last time. While I was wide awake during the adriamycin infusion, I barely remember the cytoxan infusion. Yaaawwwnn.
3. The only steroid they gave me was decadron in the IV. That generally only sticks around for 12 hours, and since I continued to take klonopin every 6-8 hours throughout the day, the mania was overcome by sleep.
4. I did develop a headache and some nausea, but nothing even near what it had been the last two times.
5. I drank a glass of water every hour, to flush that stuff out of my system.
And another theory has to do with the bumpy rash:
6. I had noticed that the rash was in places where I apply Eucyerin lotion. Even though I've been using Eucyerin for a few weeks, I still think it's kind of heavy and greasy, but everyone recommends it and it has no scent, so I continued to use it. Friday was a super hot (100 degree) day, and we were walking around in the heat going from one appointment to the next. Sweating. My theory is that the lotion clogged those pores, and caused the reaction. Today, after the steroid and the benadryl, the rash is almost all gone. Huh. Needless to say, I'm switching back to Lubriderm.
That's a lot of theories before eight a.m. I am just amazed at how not-lousy I am feeling! My final theory has to do with everyone out there was who thinking good thoughts between 10 and noon - it worked!! I gratefully appreciate it. The power of positive thinking is very, very real!
1. Lots and lots of anti-anxiety meds. I took a klonopin before I left the house and an ativan in the chemo suite.
2. In addition to those sleep-inducing pills, they gave me benadryl through the IV to help prevent the adria flare-up that occurred last time. While I was wide awake during the adriamycin infusion, I barely remember the cytoxan infusion. Yaaawwwnn.
3. The only steroid they gave me was decadron in the IV. That generally only sticks around for 12 hours, and since I continued to take klonopin every 6-8 hours throughout the day, the mania was overcome by sleep.
4. I did develop a headache and some nausea, but nothing even near what it had been the last two times.
5. I drank a glass of water every hour, to flush that stuff out of my system.
And another theory has to do with the bumpy rash:
6. I had noticed that the rash was in places where I apply Eucyerin lotion. Even though I've been using Eucyerin for a few weeks, I still think it's kind of heavy and greasy, but everyone recommends it and it has no scent, so I continued to use it. Friday was a super hot (100 degree) day, and we were walking around in the heat going from one appointment to the next. Sweating. My theory is that the lotion clogged those pores, and caused the reaction. Today, after the steroid and the benadryl, the rash is almost all gone. Huh. Needless to say, I'm switching back to Lubriderm.
That's a lot of theories before eight a.m. I am just amazed at how not-lousy I am feeling! My final theory has to do with everyone out there was who thinking good thoughts between 10 and noon - it worked!! I gratefully appreciate it. The power of positive thinking is very, very real!
posted by Rachel Troxell at 7:41 AM
4 Comments:
So glad you're feeling good. Just goes to show the power of positive energy we're all sending you!
Hooray for today!! Rachel looks great!! Which reminds me of the 7th good thing about chemo! you never would have known what a beautifully shaped head you have!!
Hi Rachel,
So glad it went better this time, sounds like your multi-pronged approach did the trick, just one more AC.
Greg
"Why, sometimes I've belived as many as six impossible things before breakfast." said the Queen.
'Alice in Wonderland'
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