Ashe Kills Cancer

Category: Treatment

  • Lingering Side Effects

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    When it comes to treating cancer, the focus tends to be on side effects that will happen during treatment. And with good reason — chemo has intense side effects and radiation, while not as intense, does have side effects as well. There is less focus, however, on the side effects that can linger long after…

  • Radiation

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    My goodness, it’s been a minute — four months, actually! Despite that gap, it’s important to me to keep documenting my cancer experience. So here’s what happened after chemo. Consultation Getting set up for radiation is a multi-step process. First is the initial consultation, where the doctor walks you through your options and you decide…

  • Chemotherapy: Round 4, Day 15 — Final Round!

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    Chemotherapy round 4 was a little less tolerable than rounds 2 or 3 but still not too bad. The whole thing took an hour longer than usual again because they were quite busy for some reason. It took about four hours instead of three. My husband ended up in the waiting room instead of sitting…

  • Chemotherapy: Round 3, Day 17

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    Chemotherapy round 3 was the most tolerable yet. The infusion itself was largely uneventful, though it wouldn’t generally be my choice of activity for the day after Christmas. And as it was the day after Christmas and the oncologist’s office had been closed the previous two days, it was quite busy. I’ve never seen it…

  • Chemotherapy: Round 2, Day 10

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    Chemotherapy round 2 was much easier than round 1. Not necessarily the side effects, but overall. I learned a lot during round 1, so round 2 was easier in that I largely knew what to expect. For example, I’ve learned it takes 8 or 9 days after chemo before I start to feel better and…

  • Chemotherapy: Round 1, Day 18

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    Quick post to document that my hair started coming out today. I’ve been checking it nearly daily by pulling on it gently. Today I consistently get a ton of hairs between my fingers. So, it seems likely that I shall be bald soon. Chemo round 2 is in four days, on Tuesday, December 3.

  • Chemotherapy: Round 1, Day 13

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    It’s been 10 days since my previous update, so it seemed like a good time for another. I’m mostly feeling okay today and have been for a few days. But it was rough going there for a bit. Side Effects For the first week or so, I had a bunch of side effects. I felt…

  • Chemotherapy: Round 1, Day 3

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    Chemo steroids are keeping me awake in the middle of the night, so what the hell? Let’s try to write an update. 😆 I have my OmmWriter music on in the background via YouTube Music. Anyone familiar with OmmWriter? It’s a distraction-free writing program I used a bunch back in the day. Steroids Anyway, yes.…

  • Education Session, Chemo Haul, Port Placement Surgery and Impending Chemotherapy

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    I feel like I’m so behind on my updates! Let me catch you up on everything. The Education Session Our chemo education session was on Friday, November 1. It was initially scheduled as an in-person appointment with the oncologist’s nurse practitioner (NP), but she was at home with COVID, so the office called me to…

  • I Cut Off My Hair and Finally Removed My Surgical Glue (With Photos)

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    Today I did something I do infrequently because it takes so much energy and causes me pain — I showered! But before that, I buzzed my hair off. Hair What began as a casual consideration became almost a compulsion. Get rid of my hair before chemo has a chance. “You want to take my hair?…