Post Chemo & What I Know for Sure

I know that we need to be easy on ourselves. We are all so very different. We may be getting the same chemo, but we may not be getting the same side effects. We all rebound differently and that is so important to remember. I was certainly one to tell everyone be easy on yourself, yo've been thru so much, but I didn't heed my own advice.

Now I know I should have just gone with my fatigue, for me it was extreme. I should not have emotionally fought it. I was comparing myself to others who had seemed to rebound so much quicker. Oh I knapped and took it easy, but had a difficult time justifying it in my little chemo brain. I wanted to do more but my body would just not allow it, and I hated having to deal with the fatigue. Just go with it, should have been my Mantra.

It was one year this past March 30, 2011 that I completed 8 1/2 rounds of chemo. That 1/2 chemo is not the norm, but then is there a norm when it comes to cancer? I had a terrible reaction at one of my infusions so the chemo had to be stopped on that particular day. On June 15, 2011 it will be one year that I completed 33 rounds of radiation, and yes it has taken me this long to start feeling like myself again. I'm not nearly as fatigued but I still do not have the energy I once had Pre-BC. Some of it is age of course, I'm now 68, was 66 when diagnosed.

Cancer treatment is not easy but as so many tell us it is definitely doable, but of course my Onc told me that before I even started chemo. A few months ago I started juicing and joined the gym this past January to start building up stamina. I'm feeling so much better today, and I enjoy almost every waking moment. I try to participate in as much as my body allows.

I've learned to go with the flow; be easy on yourself; if your body requires a 3 hour daily nap and 10 hours sleep at nite so be it. Dont fight it, accept it as a part of the process. In the long run, we are ultimately responsible for taking care of our bodies and doing whatever is necessary for our individual needs to heal. Dont compare yourself to anothers recovery, the only one you can compare your recovery to is, YOUR recovery.

I promise all you gals in active treatment, be it chemo, surgery, rads or whatever, it does get better each at our own pace. I'll be getting all my follow up scans next month and after I get the all clear, my Onc assures me he will then remove my port which has been a God send. Hugs to all my pink warriors and survivors.