The First signs of Chemo

Well, it is 4:30 a.m. Monday and I survived the weekend. I was given my first round of chemo on Friday and I made it to Monday. Today is the day that I go in and get the NEULASTA shot. This is what helps your bones produces white blood cells. The chemo pretty much wipes them all out. So you go and get this shot which I hear by the way cost about $7000.00 or more for this one shot. It is supposed to bring your blood counts back up to where they need to be by the time your next chemo comes around in two weeks. I have heard that it is a miracle drug which makes you feel so much better and minimizes some of the side effects of chemo. However, I have also heard that it is horrible and it is very dreaded by many. Why? Because it pulls from the bone marrow to do its job, and it can be very painful. Many people experience severe aches and pains in there bones. They say it can be excruciating. I try not to read into too much of what other people experience because everyone is unique. I did have one experience this morning that I beleive was the first physical sign that I have had chemo. I felt the top of my head this morning, and instead of the buzzed hair standing strong and feeling as if it were resisting my hand pushing down on it, it felt like it kind of layed over wherever I touched it. I began rubbing my hand across my head over and over while standing in front of my bathroom mirror. All of a sudden, there was stuff flying off my head. I could not tell at first but I think the hair is starting to shed and the scalp is coming off in the form of very large scales. I rubbed some more, but it never stopped. Stuff was flying everywhere. It was grossing me out! So I went and found a terry cloth sleep cap and put it on and went back to bed. And so I am here. Next to my sleeping hubby separated only by the 6 pound Yorkshire terrier named Ricky. Charlie, the German shepherd sleeps in her crate right outside our bedroom door. Soon they will all be gone, the kids off to school and Kevin off to

work. I will make a trip to the oncologist for blood draw and the famous $7000 Neulasta shot. I guess I will play the waiting game to see what side effects it brings. I pray that it brings healing and rest and assists in any way that it can to make sure that no cancer cells float by unnoticed.