It has been an interesting couple of weeks. I felt really ill a few weeks ago – felt like I was moving under water. Discoverd my pulse was 60. ( I normally have a pulse in the mid to upper 80s and as a student in college once measured it at 120 during a bio lab) . I called the oncologist on call as a low heart rate might be caused by the chemo. Of course, this was on a Saturday morning. He asked if I was feeling dizzy – I was not – but that if I started to I should go to the emergency room Great! Called my oncologist on Monday and since I was due to see the radiologist on Wednesday received the same instructions – I was also due to pick up my new bottle of pills – and if I needed to, I was to check in with him (it’s lovely, their offices are across the lobby from each other). Well – my blood pressure was low as well and the suggestion made that I contact my primary care physician and lower my blood pressure meds. They had been cut in half for a week and cut in half again when I had my monthly EKG. Wednesday I had my regular check up with the oncologist. My EKG was fine and he doesn’t want to see me for a month. He said that my lungs sound good. He could not tell me if the nauseous feeling during the hours after my meds would subside. My blood pressure was still low and after a call to my primary care doctor I am off of blood pressure medicine entirely.

I am glad that I do not have to check in for a month and to use the doctor’s words am feeling “cautiously optomistic” but I certainly do wish I felt better. I do feel that I will be able to build up my strength once again and I do feel better for longer periods of time. I am only six weeks into treatment . . . it has felt like a very long six weeks . . . and has felt like another assault on my body. I do remind myself that my response to this treatment could be much worse. The monthly EKG is to monitor heart irregularities and there are possible liver problems. I do not have mouth sores and am not throwing up.

Once again – appreciate every day you wake up feeling well. And try not to be too judgemental of others – we really don’t know what others are going through.