The Countdown Begins....for Round 3

Book from my personal BC "Library": Prescription for Nutritional Healing-PA Balch/JF Balch
Comment: Very informative, covers all kinds of known diseases, as at year 2000.

May 21 (day 19 of cycle 2)

A new week, and soon a new cycle of treatment will begin. I am really enjoying my last few days of cycle 2 inter-chemo period as I feel so normal. I am gently reminded that I am under treatment when I wake up first thing each morning when it always felt like I have a golf or squash ball IN my armpit. The feeling will disappear when I get the circulation going after solat . I do my anti-lymphedema arm exercises then and also before my morning shower. I was advised that this feeling of lymph fluid/water retention in my left arm could remain with me for a lifetime or it may go away but it will take years, if at all.

It will be 3 days and 3 nights before cycle 3 of chemo on May 24. This time I may decide to get myself admitted for a day or 2 for observation if I were to try a new anti-nausea medication. A survivor friend mentioned Kytril(?) so I might check that out and inquire about the potential side effects. I cannot bear to go through Emend again as the constipation and fatigue was quite severe for me as these had lasted well into the end of the second week post chemo. She had Emend but she was fine(not too fatigued) except her doctor had to intervene to relieve her constipation. I was too bashful to go to the doctor for that and had relied on prune juice and Kakak's sambal nasi lemak!

As it turned out different people react differently even with the same medications/drugs. I still have a few strands of hair all over my head. My nails have not turned blue black yet. At the risk of sounding weird, I admit that I am strangely disappointed that my eyebrows and lashes and those few remaining hair are still intact. I had earlier imagined that my head/face would be totally hair-less by the end of cycle 2. The question "how come the drugs have not zapped all the hair?" popped up in my mind! I plan to get my head shaved really clean the day before I go for my 3rd chemo. My head looks like a pin-cushion now with a few short remaining hairs sticking out. If one is a friend, I could look cute. A detractor would probably say "Padan muka....rasa kan!".

My survivor friend TKL offered to be my "hairdresser" , as she had shaved her head herself a few years back when she was undergoing chemo. She did admit though that because she was using a manual multi-layered razor, she nicked her scalp in a couple of places. I will probably go to Jeff, my regular hairdresser at P. Damas if he has an electric razor( although I must admit I can't recall seeing him use it on any of his clients, male or female). If I feel extra adventurous, I might even give the local Barber ( a typical Barbershop with the blue/white/red neon lights on their shop banner)at Jalan 8 Sri Hartamas a try. Since this is not so much about a hairdo but rather a clean scalp, which they would excel in, judging by the shiny bald head of Saras, my neighbour's driver/personal bodyguard.

What I need to focus on from now on is a good, blood boosting diet and making sure I am not infected with anything so that I am in sound shape on the day of chemo. Last evening, I had stocked up on blood boosting dark green vegetables (broccoli, kacang botol, pucuk paku, purple spinach) and got some calf's liver, beef and beef bones from the BV Village Grocer and assortment of fruits ( with peels - honey mangoes, dragonfruits, bananas, papayas, and mangosteens). Absolutely no apple-guava, how could they....injecting prohibited green colouring to make the fruits appear fresh and appetising!(According to newspaper reports..)

I must admit in the last couple of days, because I felt normal , I ate "normal". Meaning I allowed myself to over-indulge a little when I went out with friends and threw caution to the wind when eyeing the Menus. I need to re-train myself to eat healthily and suitably for my situation as the tendency and temptation to eat otherwise "forbidden" foods is so great. Like last night, because I had imposed a "pantang" on seafood since my first operation in January, I had a serious and stressful craving for prawns. I always eat out on Sundays as Kakak goes home to her family after cleaning the house. My friend S and I had dinner in Bangsar and I ordered 2 huge prawns which were soooo yummy and which satisfied my craving. It is much better than buying a kilo and cooking them at home where most definitely I will have at least half a dozen.

From now on, it is back to plenty of broth, iron-rich foods (not supplements) and plenty of green vegetables and Insya Allah, the FBC on May 24th would signal the go ahead for my 3rd cycle. I look forward to reaching this half-way point. 3 down and 3 to go....Insya Allah.