Round 9 is officially in the books, and it was another successful event. Melissa and I made it to the Mayo Clinic on time, ready to tackle the long day of labs, nurse visits, and treatment. My lab results were mostly okay, except my potassium was a little low. Enter: new medication. Honestly, I’m a walking pharmacy at this point, so what’s one more pill in the arsenal? Maybe I should just open my own mini-apothecary.
I learned something interesting during my nurse visit. My upcoming breast imaging isn’t to check the tumor but to take a closer look at that cyst-like bump in the center of my chest. Nurse Marti explained that it’s better to be proactive because another patient had a similar issue that became more challenging than it needed to be. Shoutout to the Mayo team for paying attention to even the smallest concerns. They’ve got my back (or chest, in this case).
During the treatment session, Melissa claimed the remote at first but quickly surrendered it after falling victim to a well-deserved nap. Her light snore was honestly the cutest thing, like a lullaby for the soul. (And yes, there may be some photographic evidence floating around. Melissa, you’ve been warned!)
The Aftermath
Fast forward a couple of days, and fatigue has officially declared war. On Saturday, I slept almost the entire day and managed to sleep through the night. I’d love to tell you that all that rest left me feeling rejuvenated, but nope—I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck. It’s like a hangover without the fun of the party.
My appetite is playing hide-and-seek, so I’ve been forcing myself to eat. Yogurt, berries, and granola have been my go-to for breakfast. It’s one of the few meals that still has some semblance of flavor. I’m starting to wonder if it’s because it’s served cold. Could it be that my taste buds are playing favorites with cold foods? I’ll need to experiment. (Is this my new science project?)
And let’s talk about surprises, because chemo is starting to feel like Christmas morning. You just never know what “gift” you’re going to wake up to. This week’s lovely surprise? A slight nosebleed. It wasn’t anything major, just unexpected. Nurse Marti had mentioned this as a possible side effect, but still—it was a first for me.
It’s like my body is in a game of Side Effect Bingo, shouting, “Oh, nosebleeds? Let’s give that a try!” Meanwhile, I’m over here like, Body, if you’re going to listen to anything, how about this: Get well and stay well, ASAP.
For now, I’ll keep doing what I can, focusing on one day at a time. And hey, if my body’s going to keep surprising me, I’m just going to try to roll with it—with a little humor and a whole lot of resilience.
