First chemo in 4 days

Hi Frederica. Ditto for all of the above. I am in the second week of my second round of chemo. The first week is the one you have to just go with the flow! Your body dictates what you need to do; rest, sleep and eat! The second week is where I feel I am returning to normal; just not quite there yet which is how I feel at the moment and then hopefully next week (3rd week) I will be back to my old self and thats when I can catch up on housework stuff, coffee with friends and any jobs I need to get done. Things that i have found important so far: look after your skin - moisturise everywhere, my skin is just so dry especially in the first week and I feel like a teenager with acne and cold sore type things that come and go.  I always set myself a gaol to exercise at least 30 - 45 minutes a day. If I got that done I felt I could give myself a big tick and I feel so much better for it. I started off by trying to eat healthy and still do but sometimes it just doesn't happen but I try not to beat myself up about it and acknowledge that these are extra ordinary times and I am doing the best I can! Another thing I have found is to find time to relax - not just rest or sleep but to take the time to listen to a relaxation CD which helps to focus your mind on your emotional and physical healing.  And a big one for me has been booking a holiday at the end of the year - a celebration of completing this journey and achieving success! It gives me something to look forward to and plan for.

I find that this cycle of chemo is a bit of an emotional one, coming to terms with the loss of my hair and maybe this journey and everything I have been through is starting to hit me. But again I try not to beat myself up. Its not what we would like to be doing (relaxing on a beach on a tropical Isalnd springs to mind!) but it is doable.  We will get there and be so much stronger for the experience.

I wish you all the best and keep blogging because you will get so much support on here!

Tanya xo