Living Life 3 Weeks at a Time

My life began to run in 3 week cycles. Here is summary of how each round would work:

Day 1 – chemo, anti-nausea meds, steroids
Day 2 – Neulasta shot, anti nausea meds, steroids
Day 2-7 – feel like crap (although in later treatments, this would last longer. Chemo has a lovely cumulative effect)
Day 8-10 – coming out of the fog/energy returns (again, this would change as time went on)
Day 14 – check up with oncologist or nurse practitioner
Day 18-20 – blood work (to check white count in preparation for next round of treatment)
Day 18-20 – frantically get things ready for next treatment – shopping, stocking the fridge and pantry, cleaning up, organizing, scheduling, etc. PREPARED was my middle name!
Day 19 – start senna laxatives (no more Dulcolax for me!)
Day 20 – start steroids
Day 21 becomes Day 1 and we do it all over again. SIX times!

It may seem monotonous to you, but having a schedule like this made it easier for me to manage the treatments. I always knew what to expect. I knew when things needed to be done, when I needed to prepare. The only variable became how long I would feel crummy after receiving treatment. I felt different every time, and that was enough to deal with. Having a schedule kept me sane.