I've been really wanting to write an entry for the last few days but now that I'm here, my mind has gone blank.
Oh! I wanted to thank all of you for leaving such supportive comments on my last entry. It was a crappy, sad day, but I'm definitely feeling better. Today was my classmates' last day of class and that didn't really bother me nor does the idea of everyone starting their rotations. ::shrugs::
I had chemotherapy again on Tuesday and it went pretty well. I ate ice again and my mouth hurt even less this time around so yay for that! It was my 4th session and, if my body is responding the way we're hoping it is, that means I'm 1/3 done with treatment. I have my 2nd PET scan this coming Thursday so we'll see how things are going at my next appointment. I'm nervous and trying to just not think about it.
At this last appointment I was a little nervous because I've been examined by the same nurse practitioner each time I've been there, who I really liked, and was scheduled with a different one this time around. You know how it is when you cling to the familiar because it's comforting. I needn't have worried as everyone at the oncology center I've met has been wonderful, but I ended up liking this nurse practitioner better than the other one. She walked in with my case printed and she had written all over it, so she obviously took the time to look at it in great detail. She wanted to talk about me for a while instead of going straight to the cancer talk, which was really sweet of her. She also pulled my oncologist in because I hadn't seen him since I'd gotten out of the hospital. Normally, he likes to see his patients every 2-3 treatments (apparently more frequently than most oncologists. Folks my mum works with tell her he's an amazing doctor and that we're really lucky he happened to be on the day I went to the ER), but he had some kind of family emergency and had been out for a few weeks, so that's why I hadn't seen him.
The next paragraph is full of TMI for those who may be bothered.
Since my mum was going to meet us at the infusion center later, we also talked to the nurse practitioner about having sex. We were given a booklet about it at one of my previous appointments, which Aaron read, and apparently it was kind of vague and contradictory (also, sad. There were sections for people who had vaginal cancer and how sex would work without vaginal reconstructive surgery. I don't even want to think about how awful that must be). Turns out, she's also a women's health specialist, so she was a good person to ask. She said there really isn't any solid research on it, which is why there aren't really good resources to give patients. Basically, it's common sense stuff and be extra clean and careful. I'm neutropenic (I have 800 neutrophils! Woo) so that puts me at greater risk for UTIs and other infections and my chemotherapy is putting me in a menopause-like state so that brings weird changes to my lady parts. In short, condoms, peeing immediately after sex and good lube are good ideas. I don't really want to have sex right now but, should that change, it's nice to know I can.
Also, it's incredibly odd and hilarious to hear a medical professional say "You can go to Sex World and ask them about butt lube." Seriously, this lady is awesome.
I think it's time for some tea and Psych. I'm so sick of it being cold. I don't know if this always happens and I'm just noticing it because I'm taking my temperature so frequently now or if it's a side effect, but I don't think I'm regulating my temperature as well as I should be. After I've been outside for a while, it seems I get chilled and my temperature is frequently in the 97's. I must be turning into a reptile.
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