Second Week of Treatment

Here we go! Now, moving in to my second week of treatment.  So far the many side effects have been bearable, nothing too concerning.  I clearly have a bit of the forgetfulness, which they gently call "Chemo Brain", I call it temporary Alzheimer's, basically the loss of short term memory. I think that it is due to chemicals in your body as well as all the overwhelming things on your mind.  I just wish right now that I wouldn't keep forgetting to get those sleeping pills, 'cause is 2 am and I am wide awake!

This week I am reminded of a co-worker, her name was Debbie and she started on the project with us in 2006, her office was right next to mine.  She was a quiet hard working woman contracted from Northrop Grumman.  As office mates do, we would often chat about our personal day to day stuff, we were office friends.  One day a couple of years ago, we heard the news that she had cancer, which was as always shocking news.  Busy with work and delivery deadlines, we went on with our duties, always with Debbie on our minds.  Time passed by and we would get updates from Debbie, we would hear that she was doing OK and being treated at John Hopkins Hospital, I believe it was!  After a couple of months Debbie came by the office, I saw her briefly in the copier room, she had lost a lot of weight and had very little hair, it was heartbreaking.  Little did I know at that time, that it was the last time I was to see Debbie.  I have thought of her often since then and wished there was more I could have done to support her in her time of need.  I also did not know, until I spoke with one of my co-workers this week, that Debbie died of Cervical Cancer.


I am not sure what stage Debbie was in, but it certainly made things real and very scary.

It is difficult to put everything I am going through in to words sometimes, I think I get through it by being a little in denial.  It is to heavy to think about it all.  So, prayers, positive thinking and lots of self pampering is helping a bit.


Tomorrow is my second round of Chemo, and although is not so bad, the side effects are dreaded.  Hopefully it would be similar to this week's effects, numbness, tired, cold like symptoms.... oh yeah and insomnia.  May be the Chemo Brain is so you do not remember it all!!