Day 3 post chemo – I have entered the valley of the shadow

 So as I have said, I feel like I have entered the valley of the shadow of death.   Don’t worry folks, I don’t plan on staying here. I have not slept at all well through the night. I am in so much pain I just cant get comfortable. My whole body hurts.

I’ve only felt something similar when I was involved in a head on collision many years ago and every part of my body felt bruised and battered. This is similar but with a toxicity like a 24 hour bug from hell.

The bone pain in my legs back and hips is unexplainable. My head is hot and fuzzy, my body is stiff and my entire digestive tract feels bloated and inflamed. Like my system is screaming at me “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!!”

I was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat as I feel weak but am scared to upset my system any more. Samuel my quirky gorgeous 12 year old son enters the kitchen and says “Ohh mum your hair has started to fall out!” In my own mind scream, “Not know I am so not ready.” The look on my face must have been priceless, as he soon tells me he is only joking. Oh kool, hah hah love, that’s so funny!!! NOT!

So now I feel paranoid as well as like I have been struck by the toxic avenger. It reaches 11am and I am required to give myself an injection. The injection is to protect my body from dropping too low in the blood count. The nurses showed me how to do it on the first chemo day. They give you the option to come in for 5 days and have it or you can do it yourself.

Guess what I chose? Yeah, don’t want to be a burden, I am far too practical as well, so how hard can it be? The actual injection itself is not hard, you stick yourself in the tummy and you push the syringe then you take it out, Simple!

I know what it feels like, sometimes when you get just the right angle you hardly feel it, its great. Other times you get the wrong angle, and it can really sting and burn. So here I sit counting “1, 2,   3”…nope. Again, “1, 2, 3”…nope. Again, “1, 2, 3”…nope. Now I am getting frustrated with myself, “Kylie JUST DO IT!!!!”

So I do. Funny, it’s nowhere near as bad as I think, a little sting but ok. Man it is such a battle of the mind! I feel slightly proud of my delayed bravery.

The day progresses and I just get worse; the toxic avenger has turned into a freight train that has run me over. Everything hurts; even blinking is hard. I fall into bed and stay there. All of the pain is horrendous, my head and body is hot and buzzing with toxicity. I pray for sleep, please come and swallow me into your peaceful embrace.