Assets

The seemingly never ending nausea is finally starting to dissipate now. I still have annoying sinus pain, if anyone is interested...

Quite glad to be seeing the back of FEC after three cycles given that the side effects have been worsening and going on longer each time.

Next time we move on to Docetaxel. Sounds like "docile", so benign and welcoming (??!). I'm sure it absolutely isn't, but at least I can hold out the hope that sinus pain will not be one of its pet side effects.

One of the components of FEC gave me a head freeze as soon as the nurse put it in me so fingers crossed it is that one causing the sinus business and that this side effect might therefore now eliminate itself.

Putting that to one side and moving on to the next set of concerns, then. The first is that I might die of an allergic reaction to Docetaxel. Now I didn't really think about this with FEC. I think what has set me off on this thought path is the fact that they make you take steroids before you even have the Docetaxel and I think this is to try and minimise the possibility of a reaction. 

I can't change the prescribed drug though and I wouldn't want to because that is the course of treatment that has been chosen for me for a reason, so insert text of Serenity Prayer here, and let's move on.

The second is the internal debate of whether to bother painting my nails a dark colour. Now I don't usually do this as a) it stains the nails and b) if they have nail varnish on for too long it affects their condition. But there is a school of thought that suggests that the effects that Docetaxel can have on one's nails are caused by UV light and that if you can stop the light from getting to them by painting them dark then they are less likely to be affected. But would I want to risk covering my nails in polish for some two months, stopping the air from getting to them and having them deteriorate anyway as a result of doing that?

Strange that I am putting more thought in to this nail business than I did about the hair situation. Actually not that strange, given that my hair was massively unimpressive whereas my natural nails are f**king fabulous, even though I do say so myself. I had a manicure in one of those really busy places staffed by Chinese people and even one of the girls there said it wasn't often that they see natural nails like mine. Praise indeed. 

So I am now facing the risk of losing one of my major assets. What to do, what to do?

#cancerdilemmasofthemoderngirl