I’ve started my last cycle of chemo! So far it’s going ok. No nausea, thank goodness. But I’m on a steroid that makes me VERY hungry and feel strange. It’s hard to focus and I feel really lousy and irritable. But I’ll take that over vomiting I guess. Also, my chipmunk face is back.

Right now I’m getting chemo once a week and then the weeks of Christmas and New Years I have chemo 4 times a week (party). While I was getting my first infusion of the new chemo I decided to google it. Bad idea. I discovered that it’s typically referred to as “The Red Devil” because it’s red in color and is the most toxic chemo drug. Lovely. I’m also still getting the chemo that makes my fingers and toes numb and now they’re number than ever. I tripped over my feet this morning because the neuropathy is so bad it’s hard to walk.

I spent two days in the ER this weekend. I woke up Friday morning with gnarly chest pains. I got ahold of the doctor on call and they told me to go to the ER because of my previous blood clot. I spent the day getting tests and waiting around for answers and finally at 6pm the cardiology team told me they wanted to admit me to the hospital because there was fluid around my heart and wanted to make sure it wasn’t getting worse. So I waited to be admitted. and waited. and waited. I finally just went to sleep around midnight since they never moved me. They did an echocardiogram the next day and I just waited around for hours. I was going bonkers. The first day I kept asking for water and snacks and the nurses would say they would ask someone and then never return. I was starving (see above about steroids). They finally brought me food at like 7pm and it was cold string beans and chicken (I dont eat chicken). Day two they at least started bringing me food and water. But it was again food that I don’t eat. So I was living off saltine crackers. I also didn’t have my phone charger with me (rookie mistake) so all I could do to keep myself occupied was watch Say Yes to the Dress and Property Brothers. It’s also scary to be in an ER in the middle of COVID, especially where you have to share a bathroom with the other patients. Towards the end of the second day I asked the nurse if I was just allowed to leave and she said no. I googled it and I guess if you leave the hospital without being discharged your insurance won’t cover it. I was considering making a run for it. Picture me with my walker running out of the ER in the green gown with my booty hanging out. She messaged the BMT team that I wanted to leave and my oncologist (luckily) was rounding that day so he came by. He said that he hadn’t heard from the cardiology team (of course) but the scan looked ok to him so I could go home. Hallelujah! The silver lining in this crappy ER experience is that we found out that the blood clot in my lungs is gone. My doctor said as a birthday gift I could stop my daily belly lovenox shots. What a relief! My parents picked me up and I went straight to get a burrito.

I had my first outing of the year. We drove out to Palm Springs for Thanksgiving. We stayed at my aunt and uncles house. There were just a few of us but we all wore masks around each other and social distanced and ate outside. I stayed in the casita away from everyone anyway. But it was so pleasant to lay in the sun by the pool. It was nice to just be somewhere that wasnt my home or the clinic. I wore my wig and put on a dress!

Sunday was my birthday. It was lovely to hear from so many friends. I truly have the best people in my life. I can’t wait to see you all again. I just relaxed at home and had Thai food for dinner. As much as it sucks that I’m turning a year older when I feel like I was ripped off this year I also can’t help but be thankful I lived to see another year. But we could all decide together to subtract a year from our age because 2020 shouldn’t count. Who’s with me?

I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have a few more weeks of chemo and hopefully these COVID vaccines will start happening and we can get back to “normal” life soon-ish.

Tootles