I had cabin fever. It was over three weeks since I was last out for a hike.
Call it cabin fever, but really I felt rotten most of the time. I didn't feel like getting out.
A week of recovery after chemo treatment #3 was followed by a lumbar puncture to to put chemo in the brain spinal cord. That procedure was followed by a week long headache before the docs decided that when the puncture was done, the body didn't seal the hole. So back for another procedure to fix the leak. After that it was time for the next chemo treatment -- #4. That was over a week ago and this morning I was feeling good enough to go for a hike. A short one.
It was a solo hike. I knew it would be a slow hike with lots of rests. My cell phone was with me just in case of a problem. The hike was about a mile and a half.
It felt so good to be outside in the desert. It was a great way for me to get rejuvenated.
The goal of chemotherapy is to kill the actively growing cells. The side effect is that the drugs in that chemotherapy attacks any growing cell in the body -- i.e. skin and the digestive tract.
The chemo treatments have a cumulative effect on the body. The wrinkles have wrinkles. I'm down eight pounds from the first chemo. I can't spare that loss. Food doesn't taste good. The most recent chemo added neuropathy to the side effects. Typing this blog is a challenge.
The neuropathy is a game changer. When I researched the neuropathy side effect, typically it goes away after three to five months. The caveat is that it may never go away.
Considering this treatment ordeal is elective, I've made an appointment with the oncologist with lots of questions about the risks of stopping now.
