I've had three rounds of chemo now. Happy to report that I am coping decently well with the treatments. In a nutshell, the pattern for me seems to be, battle chemo side effects (nausea, fatigue, brain fog, taste/appetite changes, muscle aches, malaise, etc.) for about one week after infusion then fully enjoy the following two weeks before my next round of chemo. With the medications, supplements and complementary treatments my oncologist, naturopathic oncologist and Dr. Block has me on, in addition to my super supportive caregiver and husband, the side effects are tolerable. Not fun but tolerable. One thing I learned about chemo is it is very much a unique, individual response. Your attitude and preparation going into treatment does impact your experience.
Although I haven't had a CT scan since I started chemo so don't have physical evidence of how well I am responding, my energy levels have increased and my pains have decreased. The improvement was significant enough for me to want to try hiking again. Over two weeks ago, we endeavoured one of my favourite hikes in the Rockies, Grassi Lakes. Zoey was in heaven, off leash in the wild. It felt fantastic to be reunited with nature and strolling through the mountains again, even if I needed a few more breaks than usual. We made it to the lakes and enjoyed the serenity and beauty of our surroundings. We finished the hike relaxing on a picnic table with snacks, a good book and classical music. I have to thank chemo for making this possible... :).
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| Had to choose the difficult, more scenic route! |
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| Zoey, in her element :) |
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| We have a picture like this of Zoey when she was 4 mo old. My has she grown! |
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| A Lady Slipper on the trail, one of my favourite wildflowers :) |
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| Looking down at what I just climbed up... taking a serious break. |
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| Basking in the sun at Grassi Lakes, elevation 1500m |
