Cycle 3, Week 1

I’m finding cabazitaxel to be less predictable as I go through treatments, and certainly not like docetaxel where side effects kicked in like clockwork. Tuesday and Wednesday were side effect free, which is one thing that hasn’t changed. Normally the jabbing pains in my legs and ankles start on Thursday. This time is was barely noticeable, with the pain being less frequent and less intense. Thursday I had brain fog for the first time this round. When I say brain fog, I don’t mean chemo brain where it’s hard to think of a word or forgetting things. This is more like an out of body experience where I feel like I’m floating and my brain feels like I took way too much Benadryl. This only lasted a couple of days, done by Saturday. If it’s like docetaxel, it will last more days the farther along I go in treatment. Fortunately I’m on vacation, so I pretty much stayed in bed for a couple of days. On Friday I started experiencing metal mouth. I’ve noticed that peripheral neuropathy has increased. Now both my feet are tingly. Up to now, it’s just been in my left foot, primarily my big toe.

Chemo - Round 2, Cycle 3

Today is my halfway mark through this round of chemo and the good news is that PSA is down to 3.8. So for the first time since this whole thing started I'm in the "normal" range.

Things started a little earlier than usual, with labs at 8:00 a.m. Then downstairs (floor 1) for an 8:40 appointment with my oncologist. My favorite receptionist was holding down the fort, and *blushes*, I heard her tell someone I was one of her favorites. We're both interested in history of local architecture, but she also experiences some of the same Sensory Processing Disorder that I do. Anyway, almost no wait and I was taken to the "little" exam room. (Eventually I'll remember the room number. It's either 2 or 4. But that's less descriptive.) Had my blood pressure taken, and it was actually 102/68! How I  managed that, I'll never know. A few minutes later my oncologist entered the room and we got down to business. My white blood cell counts and platelets and all that were fine, so I was good to go for chemo. I had a few quick questions for her and then we were done. I love that I basically get all the time I need for questions. I won't say today was rote, but just didn't have much today. The clinical trial coordinator came in next and we went over how I was doing (find) and I gave her my cycle 2 medication diary.

Last, but not least, headed up to floor 3 for chemo. I got in the chair, got a warm blanket, and then had my per-chemo drip pumpkin pie. Speaking of pre-chemo drip, once again I was totally wiped out by the pre-chemo IV Benadryl. First up was the dexamethasone. Then the Benadryl. And then, zzzz.

Happy

Occasionally I have someone who knows I have stage 4 cancer ask, “How can you always be so happy?” My response is simple - “How can I not be?” #LifeIsWhatYouMakeIt