When I started radiation my thigh muscles and calf muscles became extremely sore. It was painful to walk, stand, sit, lie down, … anything. I had to make sure I walked for at least 15 minutes before I went to bed or I would be up all night in pain. They felt like when I had my really bad days when I was doing chemo. I asked the doctors about it and the radiation doctors said it must be chemo after affects and the chemo doctors said it could be the radiation. After I finished radiation they began to improve dramatically until the affects were pretty much gone. Now they are doing well. The back of my right knee hurts when I bend down and I have a hard time getting up.
My upper arms and shoulder are sore when I raise my arms to pull off my shirts. I don't have seem to have the range of movement I had pre-treatments, but it's better than it was initially. That's always a good sign.
About 2 weeks after I stopped chemo my eyelashes and eyebrows went from thinning to falling out. Within a couple of weeks they had all fallen out. That was something I hadn't expected. I thought I was through with all of that.
My taste was very slow in returning. I had thought it would follow the usual chemo trend of returning by the time I was back to treatment in 3 weeks. That didn't happen. By Thanksgiving I could taste some things, but still not carbohydrates. By Christmas I could taste most carbohydrates, but still not desserts or candy. By February things taste extremely intense. Sweet things are super sweet, sour things are super sour, salty things are very salty, but cakes and cookies still don't taste right. Chocolate still tastes like unsweetened cocoa powder.
Since my eyelashes started growing back my dry eyes have mostly cleared up and don't tear up like they had started doing about half way through chemo.
My mouth is slowly becoming less dry. I still have to have water to drink during the night but I've gone from drinking 1 to 2 quarts a night to 1/2 - 1 quart of water. I carry water in my purse and try to make sure I have a water bottle or access to water at all times. I can't go more than about 15 minutes before I need to drink something.
I still get tired easily, but I forget that I am still recovering and don't rest like I should. I end up exhausting myself and pretty much down for a day to rest and recover from not doing so daily like I should.
When I go to the doctor I have my list of questions because I don't know what could be an indicator that cancer has reoccurred. Here is a list of questions from my last visit to Dr. Dickson, my oncologist.
Taste extremes (normal and should keep improving)
Numb middle toes (improvement is good sign)
Right shoulder blade itching (dry skin from treatments)
Tickle in rt ear (wax buildup)
Dry eyes/mouth (normal and should keep improving)
CAT scan (not unless showing symptoms)
Sore feet when get up (slow improvement is good indicator)
Cough since Christmas Day (if doesn't improve, come in)
"Bubble" where port was (that had become infected by my appointment)
Numb back when stand for long periods (muscles adjusting to not having large chest)
"Zit" in crease under arm (was gone)
Dr. Dickson is very patient with my concerns and understands I don't know what could be a symptom that should be a concern.
I started getting hair 1 November. I would have Ray to feel my head every day, asking if it felt different to him. He couldn't really tell any difference, but I could! After about a week I could really tell and my hair started to become visible. My eyelashes, eyebrows, hair on face, in nose, in ears, arm, and leg hair started growing at the same time. My arm and leg hair came super fast growing straight out.
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| 1/8/14-Arm hair |
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| 1/8/14-Leg Hair |
My eyelashes and eyebrows are still coming in. I ended up with "mutton chops" on my face that Elvis would have been envious of. I could literally grab it and pull it and I wasn't shaving it because I was afraid it would come in looking thicker and darker. Luckily it was really fine and blonde. I asked Dr. Dickson about it and he said it's like when a baby is born and has the fine hair all over its body and usually it just falls out. I bit the bullet and shaved it soon after the appointment and so far (a couple of weeks later) it is still light and fine and has not grown back more than my normal face hair length.
My hair on my head is a little darker then it was before and the part is on the left instead of the right like it was before I lost it. I can't tell if it will be straight or not, but it seems pretty straight so far. I am just so grateful to have hair again.
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| 6/16/13-Hair thinning (w/ old pic of Daulton) |
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| 6/9/13-Before shaving hair shorter |
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| 6/9/13--After shaving hair shorter |
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| 6/24/13-Patchy |
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| 6/24/13-..w/ super creepy eyes |
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| 6/27/13-Shaved off patches |
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| 7/11/13-Totally bald |
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| 9/16/13-Last day of Chemo! ... Still bald. |
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| 9/22/13-Persistant "whiskers" that persisted the entire time I was bald. After I shaved the patches off of my head I didn't shave it again. |
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| 11/15/13-My hair is becoming visible |
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| 11/15/13-Close-up of visible hair |
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| 12/2/13-Hair filling out more every day. |
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| 12/26/13-Hair growing in thicker. |
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| 2/2/14-Being daring and spiking my hair a bit to try something new. |
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| 1/5/14-First day I felt comfortable going out in public without a hat. It's a new year. |
I think losing my hair and having to stay away from people because of my compromised immune system has made me somewhat of a recluse. I am a bit self-conscious of my hair because it is to the point I look like I cut it this way on purpose, trying to make a statement or something. (I have had several people ask about my short hair.) I am still nervous about being around sick people since I don't think my immune system is up to where I would like it to be. My WBC #'s are good, but it takes time to recover from what I've had to go through.
I have declared 2014 a "Year of Healing" physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Let's all join our energy into being positive and becoming healthy in all aspects of our lives.
