The post with way Too Much Information

We're talking side-effects today people, and this is you warning! If you are male and don't like talking about girlie things (no pillow fights here boys!!), are a little "sensitive" (I'm not censoring this) or just don't care to know this stuff - now's the time to tune out!

**** Just a little bit about why this post: I couldn't find this information after all of my very careful searching on the blogissphere, and I wanted to know. Doctors are notoriously understated about this stuff - perhaps they are scared we'll run away screaming? Anyway - I thought this might be helpful for any of you that may unfortunately need some of this type of information. I would have preferred to have been prepared more than I was! **** (Sincerity rant ended!!)

OK - onto the nitty gritty (still time to run - I won't be offended!)

First off is the nausea. Ugh - some peeps had mentioned it, and apparently I have been hit with a pretty decent dose. The story from the Doc is that because I am being treated in a large area, my side effects are pretty large too. (There's a joke in there somewhere, I just know it. I'll get back to you if I can think of it!) The anti-nausea medicine is doing a fairly good job, but it just won't get me through the whole night. It's kinda like being pregnant again - except without the stretch-marks, 'glow' or hope of a bouncing baby at the end of the time!

OK - so for the sake of being downright truthful here, this has been the suckiest thing so far. Really. I cannot exaggerate this enough - I feel pukey most every moment of every day. And we are only one third of the way through. I have no idea how people do this and still manage to keep working - or just doing everyday things. It's gross and it's sucking my funness. Thank goodness I have my sunny disposition to fall back on (that was sarcasm peeps - it's getting hard to laugh this off - so you know it's getting bad!!)

Along with the sickness comes the fatigue. The doc tried to make this sound a little less brutal by calling it 'tiredness' - but this is life-sucking, "can't walk up the stairs" fatigue. Think of the last time you had a true, muscle-aching flu. Then multiply it by about 15. That should give you a bit of an idea of how tired I am. I am choosing to believe that's because all of my white blood cell "pac-men" are using all of my energy eating up the dead Fred cells. White blood cells appear to need a never-ending supply of energy. Thus there is none left for me to climb the stairs.

When I started this blog three days ago (remember the above point about fatigue - sometimes it means I start things like a post, and then just need to lie down and rest. Who knew typing could be so exhausting? Where was I? Oh yeah - so three days ago one of my side-effects was bi-polar bowels. Fun, huh? But apparently the Zofran has won the war, and constipation reigns. More fun. Let me tell you - sometimes I am totally overcome by the amount of fun this tumor is creating.

I'm definitely one of the two here....

These are the three big ones. And nobody wants to talk about them (and seriously, do you blame them?) Now come the other ones. There is a lot of bloating and gas (can we have more fun here?) And my personal favourite  - hair loss. Hmmm - this definitely goes in that WTMI [way to much information] category. So to be blunt - this is not the hair from my head peeps, it's what my Mum calls the 'short and curlies'. I personally think this is hysterical - I'm more of a juvenile than you ever imagined! And with that some 'sensitivity' in the "flappage" (this is my big sister's word peeps - urban dictionary. NOT FOR THE SENSITIVE OF YOU OUT THERE - I'M SERIOUS!!!  I dare you to use it in a sentence this week!!!!!!!!!)

I'm also having a lot of trouble sleeping. Bizarre considering how exhausted I feel. And of course there is some pain. Some of it I am attributing to Fred dying, and others are from being on the table like a contortionist for an hour every day. Some of it will also depend on the area that you are being treated, so unfortunately for me that includes my hip and groin area.

Good news though is that I haven't had any of the skin burning that I was expecting. My thigh is hotter than the other one for a few hours after my treatment, but it has usually been back to normal by bed time (at the exceptionally late hour of 9:30!!!!I told you I was tired).

OK - so there you have it. If you got this far, I'm very sorry because it obviously means you need this information. (If it's because you love me - thanks!! I love you too - but I think you may know things about me that you wished you didn't)

Go on - I give you permission

Hugs

Megan