Last night ended up being a pretty weird night. After I posted about how I was feeling better with this round of chemo, I got really dizzy a few times and had to hit the deck in two different places in my house. I was trying to move from one location to another (twice) and got so dizzy that I was afraid that I would pass out if I didn't sit down. It was short-lived and has not come back. Had it, we would have been on the phone with the doctor asap. I also got sick to my stomach trying to take one of my nausea pills, but I think that I just had too much liquid at one time. That was also short-lived and an isolated incident. I did not eat much yesterday (was just not up for it) so wonder if my blood sugar just go really low. Who knows. I have so many things going on in my system right now that it is hard to pinpoint the cause of anything.
I did call my doctor this morning just to run what happened past him (want to be safe here), and he had me come in for some blood work and to see the nurse practitioner. They took my vitals and determined that my blood pressure was going way down and my heart rate was going way up every time I stood up and suggested that it could be caused by dehydration. I feel like all I do is drink water all day long, but perhaps I don't drink enough. I had an IV bag of fluids over the course of an hour and was sent on my merry way with instructions to "push fluids" over the weekend. My blood work all came back fine for the most part...my potassium was a hair low, but no one was concerned about that. I am relieved by that.
The nurse who took my vitals the first time seemed really alarmed by my heart rate. So much so that she walked me down to the next room where I had to go vs. sending me alone. Subsequent nurses took my vitals with me in various positions - laying down, sitting up, standing up - and were not as alarmed. A final BP/heart rate check after I had my IV fluids indicated that they helped, and I was unhooked and dismissed.
I hesitated to post this because I don't want people to worry about me, but I endeavor to be honest and open so that people can see all sides of this journey. One side just happens to be some extreme dizziness on a Thursday night followed by my third trip to the cancer center this week. I guess that it is just safe to assume that people worry about me, in general. I think that there is always some worry involved when someone you love has a serious illness.
I am also a bit sore and tired. The new chemo is known to cause muscle and joint aches. They are not too bad, but a bit noticeable. Advil, heating pads, and epsom salt baths seem to do the trick. So many tricks of the chemo trade! I am glad to have all of these resources at my disposal, and pity those who had chemo years and years ago who did not have access to such. I imagine that chemo was truly debilitating decades ago. While I find it to be very frustrating and sometimes difficult, it is not debilitating. I am able to manage at approximately 75% capacity. That is my best estimate.
After a somewhat adventurous day, we had a nice calm evening at home with some delivery pizza, snuggles on the couch, lots and lots of water, and an early bedtime for me.
I got a little teary bidding staff members farewell today, but that is to be expected. I've been promised regular updates, and a friend created a way for me to track all of the social media that will be going on during the event so I will be well-informed.
So today was more than I bargained for, but that is ok. This chemo is keeping me on my toes.
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