Saturday, January 5, 2019

Three Cycles of Chemotherapy

Late this month, I start chemotherapy for stage one Hodgkin Lymphoma.  Potential side effects:  Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, trashed immune system, hair loss, neuropathy, and heart/lung damage; some side effects are temporary. I will need a port put in for treatment.

If I understood correctly, I will be receiving one dose of chemo every two weeks for a grand total of six doses.  Yes, most of my time will be spent feeling like hell, but there isn't much else to be done.  Yes, I'm nervous.  My body doesn't handle things well most of the time.  Yes, I'm scared.

There are currently no plans to combine chemotherapy with radiation, which is the standard procedure.  My oncologist said it might cause me more problems down the road.  I've already had radiation once in my life, if I can limit further exposure, it's probably for the best.  We can always reconsider if we must.

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