Day 6 after chemo….

After leaving chemo treatment last Wednesday I felt pretty good.  I did understand that part of my chemo regimen was a full bag of anti-nausea so feeling well was to be expected.  Days 2, 3 and 4 I figured would probably be my worst (based on what I had read) so after day 4 I thought, I can manage this!  Yes, I had nausea and slept a lot but it was manageable. I even called my short term disability administrator and asked if I could maybe work part time (unfortunately not.)  My parents went home because I was doing so well; I coached my Little League AA softball team (Go Diamonds!) and had a ball.  Then day 6 happened, yesterday.   

I woke up feeling nauseous but nothing out of the ordinary.  I liken it to my first trimester of pregnancy.  You don’t feel 100% but you get through.  We got the girls on the bus and I headed to the couch just for a quick rest (mornings with 9 and 10 year old girls are not easy).  I would not leave the couch the rest of the day.  Apparently a side effect of 5FU is a ‘chemo headache’ which took hold for a majority of the day.  Because the pain was so intense it caused nausea and I was unable to keep anything down until about 11:30 last night.  I called Kyle and he got a hold of the nurse at the Cancer Center who said I could take one dose of Ibuprofen (Tylenol does nothing for me and that is all I can take).  He called my neighbor Tara who came to my rescue because I couldn’t even get off the couch to get myself any medicine.  I am so thankful for her and her prayer over me yesterday! 

Unfortunately the girls had to witness my pain but I am seeing their strength just blossom from this.  What a blessing!  Kyle and the girls even went grocery shopping last night and did really well. God certainly has a plan for families that have a cancer diagnosis, talk about a crash course in grace, patience and strength! 

If Day 6 after Chemo is my worst day, then I totally have this!  As painful and miserable as I was, I just kept envisioning the chemo killing all those cancer cells and shrinking my tumors.  This is what will get me through!   

Five more rounds of chemo to go….. 

God IS Good.