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It's been a while since I posted, and most of it has been due to the holidays, which were great, by the way. I have discovered the benefits of acupuncture for my chemo side effects, and I have had a lot of relief from nausea and some of the other short-term side effects, like insomnia and fatigue. My last 2 chemos were delayed due to low white blood cell and platelet counts, and my current one was delayed until next week again for the same reason. At this point, I've had 4 cycles, with only 2 more to go, and I am definitely feeling like a horse racing for the stables. I have so many exciting things to look forward to this year - I'm going to Italy in May, and I am planning to open a new business. At this point, chemo has become an annoyance and I can't wait until it's over so I can move on.
This week, I feel like some of the effects of the chemo are hitting me a little harder, and I think it's due to the "building-up" effect that chemo has. Although I always have muscle pain and weakness in the week following a treatment, it usually goes away, and I feel pretty strong the second 2 weeks of my cycle. Although it has been 3 weeks since my last treatment, I am starting to feel a little weaker - getting winded going up the stairs, and feeling like I've walked about 10 flights as opposed to one. Today, I took a walk around my backyard. I noticed all the plants with their bare leaves, and the weeds that have grown up in some of the planters, and I was overcome with the feeling that my body is in a temporary "winter", stripped bare and weak. Although that might sound a little down and depressing, today is, after all, a sunny winter day. Even though my body feels a little down in the dumps right now, and I can't wait to start my walks in the park, or try going to yoga, my spirits are great - I am confident and positive. I see the beauty in everything around me, and I am grateful for this experience. I believe that the level of pain you experience in your life allows you to experience the same level of pleasure and happiness, kind of like a pendulum swinging back and forth. If nothing bad ever happened, you wouldn't be able to appreciate the good. And while we are in the depths of winter, even on a sunny day, what is the one thing we all look forward to? Spring. I can't wait for my Spring to come! Everybody better look out!
