Chemo Week #2--aka Rash Week

Well, it's nice to be back, I gotta say!
We started the week by having our wireless router go out on us.
I was sad feeling like I couldn't blog or do the internet-thing, at first, but by Tuesday's side-effects from chemo, none of it was on my mind or top of my list.

This week's moral---a rash. A very *gross, in my opinion* acne-like, itchy and uncomfortable rash...
all over my chest, face, neck, shoulders, back, inner thighs and scalp.
SUPA FUN. ha~

I was told that the Decadron *lemans terms, steroid* that they give me both the night before chemo, orally, and then the day of chemo through my port, was likely the biggest culprit. Supposedly, it feels to my body like a hormone that surges through a 13 yr old pubescent boy's body and hence causes such side-effects. Cause cutting my hair all off didn't make me feel boy enough already, lol!!
Oh goodness. I just have to laugh, cause otherwise I cry, ha~

The steroid drug is necessary, though. From how it's been explained to me...they have to get my heart over-active--pumping FAST--so that as soon as the chemo goes in and to my heart, it doesn't stay there for longer than it has to before reaching it's final intended destination. Makes sense.

The good news about the rash is my doc was able to prescribe a cream that is helping. It's topical, obviously, which means it's taking time to completely disappear, but as far as wanting to itch my body off, it's settled. With time and cream, I'm slowly feeling myself again.

I've decided that this part of the hike is going to have lots of surprises--(snakes jumping out, poison oak encounters), etc--my doc tells me it's good to expect those, even though I'm not sure exactly what each will be. In lou of this, I've decided to start calling each week by it's 'surprise'--this week was Rash Week.
I figure by the end of this, I'll be through enough side-effects that weeks will actually be surprisingly normal and am told to expect this, too! :)
All in all... this too shall pass. ...and as we keep looking at it as a family, this is one LESS week we have to do before we reach the end. :) :) :)
Thank goodness~

Oh, and as far as the supposed Norwalk virus that's been reported rampant at Gray's school and throughout our community?! I think we may of actually dodged it.
While we are really feeling for our friends who ended up with it, I have to say...like I told Aaron...I think God knew we already have ENOUGH on our plate as it is, ha! ;-P