I have had my first round of chemo and I really do not feel so bad. I have to go back tomorrow to get a Neulasta shot. They say that because I am doing the dose dense chemo (every 2 weeks) that I need to have this shot the day after each dose of chemo so that my white blood count stays up.
The shot itself was not too bad; the next day though is a different story. I woke up and felt like my husband beat me with a baseball bat. This is quite possibly the most painful thing that I have had done. I called my oncologist right away because I thought I was having an allergic reaction. Come to find out this is how you feel after this shot. It is normal to feel like this. The white blood cells come from your bone marrow and when you increase your white blood cells it makes your bones feel like they will explode.
Luckily a few pain pills and 48 hours later I was feeling back to normal. My first dose of chemo is done and I do not feel all that bad, I still have all my hair. Maybe I can still salvage my 7th wedding anniversary which was coming up in the next week.
I had hair that was down to my mid-back before I heard the cancer diagnosis, when I got the diagnosis I cut it to shoulder length. I had the kids each pick out a wig for me. I have a long red hair, a short blonde, and a light brown bob I hated all of them. Within a few days after my first chemo I was running my fingers through my hair and a chunk came out. Every time I ran my fingers through my hair more and more came out and with each chunk I would sit and cry.
Who ever thought that having your hair fall out would be that traumatic? I know I sure did not. I was prepared to have it happen, we all know you lose your hair with chemo but the reality was much harder than I ever imagined.
After about 2 days of crying nonstop I gave up. I called my husband at work and told him I was going GI Jane and getting it all shaved off. When I walked into the hair salon that usually cut my hair and asked them to shave it off I felt very strong, that I was finally having something that I can control. The hairdresser did it with such kindness and grace it was wonderful. She made this whole day a bit easier. She trimmed all three of the wigs to fit me right.
When the kids and hubby came home my middle son who was only 4 at the time came up and rubbed my bald head and said I was bald but beautiful. Every day from that day forward he did the same thing and said the same thing and every time he did it I smiled and still do thinking about it.