6th Chemo Treatment Done Done!!

So FINALLY... I made it!!  After counting radiation and chemo treatments since November 2020, I have completed my 6th and final chemo treatment on February 16, 2021!!  It was a happy and emotional day!!  I have rang the bell for the last time... the very last time!!  God-willing...

However, as satisfying as ringing the bell, I am not looking forward to the several days that come after treatment.  There is that hump to get over where everything tastes like metal.  I can't  rinse enough or flush enough water through my system to make this any easier.  Anti-barf pills as a fellow cancer patient described the little orange nausea pill will help with some of the unsettled stomach feeling.  I have the high of the steriods to come down from, and usually this starts the crash about day 3 after chemo treatment.  I just want to sleep the next couple days until I get past this bump in the road.  This time I had crazy neuropathy, and Tylenol around the clock did not help my feet and hand sensitivity.  Good news is that this will eventually settle down... and in 18 months from now I will know what permanent neuropathy will remain.  My goal is none.  I will keep rubbing my feet, having my foot baths, and pray for the best outcome.  This sensitivity grates on my nerves, and even the blanket against my feet keep me wide awake all hours of the night.  Thank goodness for YouTube and mind-numbing entertainment during these long hours ahead.

Mostly, I am thankful for a husband that will make me scrambled eggs and toast for every meal until my taste comes back.  He has had to do so much while having his own challenges, and endure so much patience with sitting outside of hospitals and extra trips back and forth waiting on my treatments to be finished.  He just did it and never complained once.  My family and friends have checked up on me continously, and I have counted my blessings many, many times.

So I am weepy sometimes during these days too, where nothing makes sense about how I got to this point, how did I have the strength to work through these treatments, and where did my strength go when I didn't have any strength to do simple things.  I am not so foolish to know that I am done the work yet... I still have to work through the next few months to get to my 3 and 6 months check ups.  Those check ups will be telling moments for a cancer survivor to hear that things look clear.  For those who know me, I know I am not afraid of hard work.  Although I don't know what to expect from this phase of recovery, I plan to use my time to rebuild my strength day by day, and to have my hair grow back.  The biggest challenge I expect to face is to leave the worry behind me as I move forward.  Forward is a good place to be... just keep moving forward.  :)

https://youtu.be/aOkNxoEfnuo