Chemo. Is. OVER!
Finally. My first last.
Today was it. Chemotherapy number 6 - the final one. I cannot express how thrilled I am to have even one small part of this behind me. It is a thrill, to say the least. Especially after my Misery Guts Weekend.
I learned a very important lesson this weekend, though. Or rather, I applied a very important lesson that I learned when my fears that something really was wrong with me for the past year were true.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
And what my body was telling me, as I cried out in pain this past week, was this: "Hey you friggin idiot. You realize that you can't even put most lotions on your skin, right? That there is no facial moisturizer, no matter how delicate, that does not make you turn red with rash. That even "sensitive skin" soap wreaks havoc on the skin of your hands, your armpits, your body. Even just a quick change in air temperature will give you hives on your extremities for hours! So what the F%&# made you think you could go rubbing Aquafor, A&D, Aloe, Monistat AND Lidocaine all over your most sensitive of areas without consequences?!"
So, after not really sleeping Saturday evening, Sunday morning after I showered, I put NOTHING on all of my aching skin folds and legpits and buttcrack and whathaveyou. And you know what? NO MORE PAIN!!!! The horrendous stabbing pains of the previous week just disappeared. Incredible!
Incredible what such a revelation does not just for the body but the MIND. I felt 1000x better. I actually SLEPT almost all day Sunday, after having not been able to the previous several nights. I ate. I smiled. I felt OK again!! *Huge Sigh of Relief*
I got so many wonderful words of encouragement the past several days. Truly astounding, how much love is out there in this world. You guys are just amazing.
Loads of love to everyone reading,
Phoebe
PS - I almost forgot... I got this, today, as I was leaving chemo...
Today was it. Chemotherapy number 6 - the final one. I cannot express how thrilled I am to have even one small part of this behind me. It is a thrill, to say the least. Especially after my Misery Guts Weekend.
I learned a very important lesson this weekend, though. Or rather, I applied a very important lesson that I learned when my fears that something really was wrong with me for the past year were true.
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
And what my body was telling me, as I cried out in pain this past week, was this: "Hey you friggin idiot. You realize that you can't even put most lotions on your skin, right? That there is no facial moisturizer, no matter how delicate, that does not make you turn red with rash. That even "sensitive skin" soap wreaks havoc on the skin of your hands, your armpits, your body. Even just a quick change in air temperature will give you hives on your extremities for hours! So what the F%&# made you think you could go rubbing Aquafor, A&D, Aloe, Monistat AND Lidocaine all over your most sensitive of areas without consequences?!"
So, after not really sleeping Saturday evening, Sunday morning after I showered, I put NOTHING on all of my aching skin folds and legpits and buttcrack and whathaveyou. And you know what? NO MORE PAIN!!!! The horrendous stabbing pains of the previous week just disappeared. Incredible!
Incredible what such a revelation does not just for the body but the MIND. I felt 1000x better. I actually SLEPT almost all day Sunday, after having not been able to the previous several nights. I ate. I smiled. I felt OK again!! *Huge Sigh of Relief*
I got so many wonderful words of encouragement the past several days. Truly astounding, how much love is out there in this world. You guys are just amazing.
Loads of love to everyone reading,
Phoebe
PS - I almost forgot... I got this, today, as I was leaving chemo...
Comments
Chemo: done
Pain: gone
Sleep: rediscovered
Hope: restored
Brava, Phoebe!