What is chemo like?

What is chemo like?  I hear this question often. I'll try to describe what my experience has been since my first treatment.

The day of the treatment wasn't too bad, physically. The whole process takes a couple of hours. I didn't feel anything strange or weird when it was going in through the IV. By the time I got home from the hospital I just wanted to nap. Even the next day wasn't too bad. I was tired but still able to function and not really that sick. Day two and three were the worst. There was nothing I could do to stop the nausea. Even the prescribed medication didn't help at that point and they have their own set of side effects. The nausea remains for the first week but not as bad.

Nausea wasn't the only reason for not eating. Food of all kinds just didn't taste right or good. Eating spicy food like I would normally do was out of the question. Everything I tried seemed to have too much flavor. I ate Gorilla Munch cereal for days afterward. And then from out of nowhere I had a strong craving for baby cakes (mini hash browns made by McCain) and cold ketchup.

After the first week is when you get tired. I felt pretty good this morning. I had energy at work all day but now it's 6:30 in the evening and I'm ready to go to bed. It's the kind of tired when you have trouble even keeping your eyes open. This is also when I am told I am most susceptible to infections and getting sick. I have to take my temperature throughout the day. If I get a temperature of 100 or above I need to go to the emergency room right away.

And my newest side effect...acne. I'm breaking out on my chest, back, and face. It's like puberty all over again.

So let me recap this for you....nausea, tiredness, foods not tasting right, strong food cravings, and acne. I was thinking about this a few days ago when I had the realization, "Oh yes, I trained during most of my 20's for this!! It's just like being pregnant (only more extreme). So I got this. I've done this 5 times before. But this time I will feel sick for one week, tired for one week, then feeling better for one week, and just when I start to feel back to normal it's time for another treatment. The cycle continues 8 times.

Oh yes, there is one other thing I didn't mention, hair loss. Hair loss takes place 14 days after my first treatment which means only 4 more days left. The countdown is on. And as much as I have tried to prepare myself for that moment I'm not sure it will help when it is actually time.