My hands continue to be tender and sensitive. They aren't getting significantly worse, but they are continuing to peel and expose tender layers of skin underneath that are not fully prepared to make contact with the outside world yet. So I've been upping my glove game. In addition to rubber gloves to minimize getting my hands wet in the kitchen, I'm also showering with rubber gloves. And instead of wearing fingerless gloves, I've purchased thin cotton gloves to wear at night and  gaming gloves for daytime use. Both types of gloves just arrived today. The gaming gloves have worked well for both typing and using touchscreens. Chemo round 4 is tomorrow. Given the state of my hands, the chemo dose will be reduced by 10%. Once that's done, I'll be halfway through my chemo infusions. The remaining 4 will be a different set of drugs: Paclitaxel (prevents cell division) and Filgrastim (stimulates white blood cell production). Paclitaxel has side effects that I'm a...

Round 3 of chemo has been similar to round 2. The newest member of the side effects gang is darkened nail beds, one of the common changes to nails caused by chemotherapy. Advice from the oncology nurse I talked to is to keep hands clean and moisturized and to wear gloves for activities like washing dishes. When I told family, friends, and co-workers about my cancer journey this year a lot of people said things like "I know you're strong, you've got this". But you know what words of encouragement have resonated with me the most when I'm feeling exhausted and frustrated with all the side effects? "Sometimes, it's ok to not be ok" Those words are another way of saying that I don't have to be strong all the time. And really, trying to be strong all the time is exhausting all by itself. I can however, look for more ways to distract myself from boredom and the more February-like winter chill that has hit Toronto this past week. And because I spend so ...

 I'm normally a "wash and go" kind of person. Low-maintenance hair, no makeup,  and jewelry only very occasionally. My self-care routine is annoyingly more complicated now. I'm continuing to shed lots of hair - most of it is gone now. My scalp is tender where hairs still remain, so I've been wearing caps to contain the shedding hair, protect the scalp, and keep my head warm. I'd actually like to get this hair shedding phase over with ASAP because it'll actually be more comfortable than it is now. Eyebrows and eyelashes are still intact so far. One of the side effects of my glaucoma eyedrops is actually increased eyelash growth - so maybe the eyelashes will survive this journey better than other areas. I've also started wearing longer earrings to dress up the cap look a bit. Those who knew me back in the 80s might remember that I wore big earrings regularly in my youth. These days I'm opting for pieces that are long but light, such as earrings by Mo...

I’ve been told by multiple people that I’ll start losing hair in the second week. Hair shedding started right on cue Tuesday, 2 weeks after my first chemo infusion. I asked my partner to cut my hair short when we got back from the chemo appointment so that there are fewer long hairs to shed. She gave me a buzz cut but left some of my bangs. I’m calling it a punk pixie cut. ​ I’ve still got a lot of my hair, but more sheds every day. On Monday, my medical oncologist said all the symptoms I experienced from the first chemo treatment are within a normal range, so my second chemo treatment was at the same dose as the first one. For the mouth soreness, she said I could try rinsing with baking soda and water and also gave me a prescription for a mouthwash that the pharmacy can compound. The mouthwash can help numb the area if I’m really uncomfortable. It is only good for 2 weeks, so we’ll order it if I think I need it. In the meantime, I’m using Biotène products to help moisturize the area....