Herceptin #4 Taxol #10
The pre-med for Taxol, Dexamethasone, seems to have 2 main side effects: insomnia and can make you hungry. So the night after treatment I find myself wide awake and reading, researching. ...and raiding the fridge and pantry! I have been prescribed yet another drug (drugs for drugs) that can help me sleep for 6 hours. So if I'm still wide awake about midnight I consider it on treatment night.... 11.45 now... Not ready for sleep yet!
Other side effects.... A red spotty rash has appeared on the back of my hands. This is improved by some cream prescribed by my oncologist but he says it probably won't really go away till chemo is finished.
The nose bleeds have subsided a little.
The numbness and tingling in my fingertips, bottoms of my feet and toes have increased a little but do not stop me from doing anything. Oncologist asks each time if I can still do up buttons, etc. So obviously it could be a lot worse.
Dryness continues to be a key side effect that I can't wait to be without. Sometimes feels like the tightness and surface of a fully inflated balloon...
Tastebuds on strike! Everything is fairly bland and tasteless and tongue still feels burnt. Easier to eat things that are not salted or sugared cos I can't tell the difference!
But the big plus is there's no nausea and I do get to sleep pretty well. Once the dex subsides I can relax and have nanna naps to catch up nad can sleep quite well at night. Energy levels good but sometimes I do enjoy just lying in my sunny front room reading (novels for pleasure as opposed to researching) and dosing. But the I have enjoyed that for years!!!! :)
PS - learning to add more TAGS so I can find my previous blogs that refer to my notes on specific topics. EG 'diet'..... This is part of my reason for keeping these records! For my own reference!
