Thursday, July 1, 2010 - Happy Canada Day!!

Happy Canada Day to my Canadian blog-mates... and an early Happy July 4th to my American blog-mates!!

Well, it has been a while since my last blog entry... and that's because I've been trying to adjust to my chemo treatment that I'm back on. I was soooo hoping that this oral (pill form) chemo was going to be just great. I was pretty confident that it would be because I have been on it before... back in May 2007 when I was on 6 weeks of radiation. I don't remember having any problems with it and if I did feel tired, that would have been the combination of radiation and chemo.

So it did come as the biggest surprise that this time on the oral chemo I had a horrible reaction... where it totally attacked the bottom of both my heels. It's hard to describe the pain but for anyone who has had Plantars Fasciitis at the bottom of your foot, think of that pain X 10 and in both feet at the same time. Next to impossible to walk on. Well, not "next to" but actually impossible. I did attempt to shuffle from the apartment to the car and the car to the apartment. But in the 2nd week I realized this was going to be a huge problem when I was in absolute agony to just walking the few feet and few stairs to the car in the carport. Forget going grocery shopping or any errands/tasks!

In this second week I have been put on Oxycodone along with the Tylenol 3s (very two hours) and Tramadol. My oncologist told me on Tuesday, my last day of chemo for Cycle 1, to not take the evening dose. I now am in my "recovery week" which is the week with no chemo so that my red/white blood cells can regnerate. Amazing... by missing that evening chemo, the next day, with the help of the Oxycodone and Tylenol, my feet did a rapid improvement. I could stand on them! I could walk around the apartment with no tears! I could take Bridget out to the back lane for her late night pee! It was like a miracle.

Today, I cut waaaaay back on my Tylenol 3s, and Oxycodone. My feet are still way better than when I was on the chemo, but more painful than when I was on the meds yesterday. So I'm thinking I'm going to have to taper off the pain meds a little more slowly and not just stop cold turkey.

Meanwhile... I will have my appt. with Sharlene next Thurs, July 8th and we are going to have to go over any other options we have. There is no way I'm going to be able to go through with 6 cycles of this chemo... I can't handle that kind of pain. For any of you who want to know what it's like (sans the pain)... from the moment you get up in the morning and put your feet on the floor from the bed... try this exercise. DO NOT let your heels touch the floor. Try to get around your home/outside/work by using any part of your feet, as long at the heels don't touch the ground. That is what it has been like for me. The minute you put your heel on the ground, even just to rest your foot, the most excruciating pain will shoot up the heel... and it's the same for both feet.

Hehehehe... another thing that I totally forgot was how you can get so tired with no warning. Here it is Canada Day today and although I had no committed plans, I wasn't expecting to be soooo tired! But most chemos work this way... the "fatigue" or "tireds" don't really hit until you are off the chemo for the "recovery" week. It means the chemo is doing what it's suppose to... which is killing off cells (good and bad). When you kill off your good cells, you get incredibly tired. Well, I was feeling so good "physically" for the two weeks I was on the chemo, except for the painful feet, that I totally forgot at some point I was probably going to feel "tired"... really tired.

Hehe... all the better that today is a holiday and I'm not expected to be anywhere :) And sooooo good that I stocked up on a couple of books that I want to read. I'm reading one right now called "Glitter Baby". Just a big old summer reading novel, but I'm really enjoying it!!

Tomorrow afternoon, Bridget and I will be going to the TUTS office. Both shows/casts are now down at the park on the stage at Malkin Bowl. We haven't opened yet, but they are there rehearsing and doing their tech weeks. Both shows are going to be fabulous!! Seriously, if any of you reading this blog are in the Vancouver area this summer, you really should take in the magic of watching a Broadway musical in the middle of the most gorgeous park in the world. To be watching a musical under the stars and surrounded by huge evergreen trees... it really makes for a magical evening. Just remember to bring a jacket and blanket, no matter how warm it may be during the day. It does get chilly in the Bowl surrounded by all those trees. I don't think I can even pick favourites at this time... they both are going to be wonderful -- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be brilliant for those of you who want to bring the whole family and Singin' In The Rain is going to be brilliant for all of you who love the classic movie.

Soooo, I think that's about it for now. I'm sure there must be other things to talk about but today is a "tired" day. I figure I wanted to get a blog entry up and as for pictures and things, I'll do that in another entry :)

Have a wonderful long weekend EVERYONE, whether you are celebrating being a Canadian or celebrating being an American!! It's all good :)

Hugggggs,

Cheryl