Radiation and Chemo Finished

I haven't done much blogging of late.  The chemo was okay, but the radiation kicked my you-know-what!  I have done a lot of sleeping over the course of the last six weeks. 

By week #2 of the radiation/chemo, my speech, which was starting to come back, was already impaired again.  They put me back on steroids to help with that, but I argued for a half dose because I never sleep when I'm on steroids.  I just couldn't go without sleep for five more weeks.

By week #4, my hair was coming out in large clumps on the left side of my head.  Still, I had a comb over so it didn't look too bad. But it was obviously thinning. 


During all of this time, I was going to to speech therapy, motor therapy and occupational therapy, as well as orthopedic therapy for my knee.  I had medical appointments almost every day, except for the weekends. 

Speech therapy was really useful to learn how to talk again, but the improvements were tiny and took a long time. Fortunately, I had my son coaching me on my words.  Best coach I ever had!

Motor therapy was for my right side, which has decreased fine sensation, decreased ability to feel temperature, and a certain amount of numbness, similar to a stroke.  My gait was also uneven, but not so uneven that I had a risk of falling.  That was nice to find out, although the steroids caused havoc with my long muscles.  I couldn't get out of a chair without pushing up on my arms, but I was prohibited from doing squats because of my knee, to strengthen my quads.  A lot of straight leg lifts, as well as side to side leg muscles. My legs are really weak now.

The occupational therapy was for my typing skills.  Because of the slight decrease in strength and the numbness in my right hand, I have having difficulty typing, aside from the problem of spelling. I am no longer a 120 wpm perfect typist. I also have great difficulty opening bottles and jars now.

It also took months of rehab on my knee.  I can almost get it straight, but not quite.  This will take more time.

The best part of being finished with radiation and chemo is that I'm now cleared to fly up to my husband's family and spend Christmas with them!  We leave on Saturday!  Time to get a mani-pedi and a trim.  I won't say a "haircut", but there's not much left to cut.