Post Chemo Day 1 Scoreboard: Me 1, Chemo-Also 1

The IV Struggle Was Real, But So Was the Post-Chemo Glow: The Great Vein Debacle

I know I have sucky veins. I know I need a port. But waiting three more weeks to start chemo? Not an option.  You’d think getting a port placed would be a high-priority, let’s-get-this-done situation, but apparently, every hospital is operating on "we’ll get to it when we get to it" time. Three weeks? Four? Five?  No one’s fast-tracking anything unless there’s some VIP chemo fast pass lane I don’t know about. 

So my choices were:
❌ Wait around for a port while my tumor throws a party.
✅ Suck it up and do chemo without it.

 I went with Option B.  We all knew this was going to be a struggle. The nurse starts her treasure hunt for a vein, and after some enthusiastic excavation, I say, Nope. Abort mission.

Round Two: Other arm. Same story—veins apparently in witness protection.

Round Three: At this point, I just suck it up, tell myself I am stronger than scaredy cat veins, and let her try again. It wasn’t pretty but it finally got done.  A couple of vials of blood  for baseline labs and with that, we move on to Round One of chemo. 🎉

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Pre-Gaming with IV Fluids: A Vein’s Worst Night Out

Before the real fun started, we kicked things off with some IV fluids—a little hydration pre-game to keep my veins happy (or at least trick them into cooperating) and BONUS – may face glowing.

Round One: Needle in, chemo flowing, all’s well. 💉 Smooth sailing.

Round Two: Vein’s feeling a bit tender, and its COLD!  But hey, no pain, no gain, right? 🤷‍♀️

Round Three: Vein decides it’s had enough of this toxic relationship and stages a full-on protest. The nurse tries to start the infusion, but my vein is like, "Nope, we’re closed for business." 🚫

Turns out, the chemo had turned my vein into a clogged highway, causing a traffic jam of epic proportions. The solution? A thorough flushing to clear the blockage. 🚰

Later that night, my arm felt like I had a lead pipe lodged in it. A quick consult with Dr. Google (reliable as ever) informed me that chemo can cause hardening in the vein, also known as Vein Hardening (Phlebitis). Apparently, this happens when medication irritates the vein, causing it to become firm, tender, or swollen. Love that for me.  So, I did what any rational person would do—wrapped my arm in a warm compress, gave it a pep talk, and went to bed with my arm slightly elevated like royalty. 👑

 By morning? Crisis averted. My arm was back to normal.

 Takeaway: Sometimes, even your veins need a spa night. 🧖‍♀️ Medical recommendation? Warm compresses and arm elevation. My recommendation? A glass of wine and easier vein access.  Oh yeh, that would be the port which will be installed on March 3.

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Night One Post-Chemo: The Battle of the Patch

 How did I sleep? And how do I feel today?

Honestly? The thing bugging me the most isn’t the chemo, not my veins, not even the sheer exhaustion of fighting with my own circulation. Nope. The true villain of the day? - The Neulasta patch.  This little device, firmly attached to my arm like an overzealous barnacle, has been whacked into every doorway, shoved side to side, and generally made its presence aggressively known. It’s basically the annoying little sibling I never asked for. And tonight at 9:30 PM, it will do its thing—injecting my white blood cell booster over an hour-long period.  And yet… I can’t believe that’s the biggest issue today.

How I Actually Feel - I feel great. The only reason I’m tired is because I didn’t really sleep last night. Not because of chemo—just from trying to situate my arm in a way that didn’t smother the patch and making sure to send out my update email. Priorities.

Today’s exhaustion? Self-inflicted. I clocked three hours max of sleep, so I’ll probably grab a nap later. But for now? Still feeling good.

✔Chemo? Manageable.

✔Neulasta patch? More high-maintenance than expected.

✔Me? Still standing. Slightly sleep-deprived. Still walking into doorways.

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Hump Day Reformer Roulette: Will We Sweat or Just Sip?

Every Wednesday at 6:30 AM, my duet rolls in with one big question: Are we working out today, or are we just here for the vibes?

 There’s no warm-up. No easing in. Just an instant gut check on whether we’re about to crush an athletic reformer session or cancel all plans in favor of coffee and deep life discussions. Today? Coffee won.

They texted at 5:50 AM to confirm we were on. I said yes, I feel great! Let’s do this!

By 6:30 AM, they were still at home.

By 6:40 AM, they waltzed in with coffee in hand, zero guilt, and absolutely no intention of breaking a sweat.

 And obviously, yes. Because when your closest friends walk in with coffee and zero shame, you roll with it. So Pilates was unceremoniously canceled in favor of caffeine, after which we embarked on a full-blown wig and hat try-on session. Temu and Amazon delivered both comedy and chaos, and here’s the verdict:

✔ The “nice” wig—thick, luxurious, and 100% fake-looking in that so perfect it’s suspicious way.
✔ The baseball caps + Velcro hair? Game. Changer. Effortless, interchangeable, and definitely my jam.
✔ My friends? Absolute MVPs. They won’t shave their heads in solidarity, but they will commit to wearing ridiculous hats with me when I’m bald, which—let’s be real—is far more entertaining. That’s true friendship.

Wrapped up the morning with my 8:00 AM private, who never fails to make me laugh, and dodged an incoming flu bomb from another client who wisely kept her germs at home.

All in all? A perfect Hump Day win. No sweat, lots of sips, and a solid new hat strategy for my future bald era.

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Mid-Afternoon Glow, No Sun Required

It’s mid-afternoon, and I look like I just came back from a brisk walk in the sun—except I haven’t left the house. A nice little rosy flush, courtesy of chemo, steroids, dehydration, or my body just generally freaking out.

 So, what did I do? Last week, I uploaded all 20 pages of my chemo handouts into ChatGPT (because who actually reads those?) and today, I simply asked, “Why are my cheeks red?” Boom—instant answer. Science, magic, or just modern laziness? Either way, mystery solved.

Why Do I Look Like I Just Power-Walked Through the Sun? 

1️⃣Steroids: Because apparently, my meds come with a free built-in rosy Instagram filter.

2️⃣Chemo Drugs (Taxotere, looking at you): Expanding blood vessels like they’re hosting a grand opening.

3️⃣Detox Mode: My body is flushing out chemo like it’s last night’s bad decisions.

4️⃣Faster Metabolism: Who knew my internal furnace would kick into overdrive? Still waiting for the “effortless weight loss” perk, though.

5️⃣Mystery Side Effect: Either I’m overheating, mildly radioactive, or just really committed to looking “glowy.”.

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Chemo Brain Meets Red Cheeks: The "Oops, I Forgot My Meds" Saga

Whoops! Steroids wearing off? Oh yeah, I was supposed to take that this morning. Rookie move. Today, I felt so good that I completely forgot to take my meds. The steroid was right there, ready to save me from flushed cheeks and an energy crash, but I was too busy feeling great and forgetting I’m in chemo.  Surprise! I had already messed it up.

So, I took the steroid, marked it down like a responsible adult, and in six hours, I’ll most likely take the Compazine.

 Note to self: Just because you feel good doesn’t mean you can slack on the meds—because chemo always finds a way to humble you real quick.

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Claritin: The Overachiever of Meds

Oh, and I did take the Claritin too, which, by the way, helps with… what exactly? Turns out, this little allergy pill is pulling double duty:

✔ Bone pain relief – Mainly used to counteract Neulasta-induced bone pain. That little f-er has been irritating me since last night and is scheduled to go off at 9:30 PM—I’m sure that surprise is going to feel just wonderful. (Because apparently, white blood cell production hurts? Rude.)

✔ Anti-inflammatory magic – Can reduce general aches, muscle soreness, and mild allergic reactions.

✔ Prevents histamine drama – Helps stop runny nose, sneezing, and random itchiness that chemo might trigger. (Because clearly, I needed more random side effects to worry about.)

 Basically, Claritin is the overachiever of meds—not just for allergies, but also for keeping post-chemo aches from turning into another surprise plot twist.

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Chemo Reality Check: Enjoy the High, the Crash is Coming

Just got off the phone with my nurse—the one who's been holding me up, doing this with me, and being an actual angel in scrubs. She wanted to check in and, more importantly, manage my expectations because apparently, I am not allowed to feel this good for long.

Her exact words? "People like you tend to crash." (People like me? What does that mean? Optimistic? Stubborn? Too good at pretending I have my life together? Probably all of the above.) She doesn’t want me floating along thinking I’m some kind of chemo unicorn only to get blindsided when the real fun starts at the end of the weekend or early next week. Love that for me.

I also told her about my little ChatGPT chemo hack—aka uploading my 20-page handouts so I never have to dig through them like a lost soul. She was stunned. Mind blown. Kept asking questions like, “Wait, it actually READ them?” Yep. It read them, summarized them, and now I can just ask it things instead of flipping through PDFs like a medieval scholar.

So overall? A win-win.

✔️ I got a reality check.
✔️ She got a tech revelation.
✔️ And we both agreed—we got this together.

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🛑 Survival Scoreboard: Round 1 🛑

Competitor	Score	Play-by-Play Recap
Me 🏆	1	Still standing, still functioning, still in charge. Managed to work, drink coffee, and test-drive wigs like a champ.
Chemo 💉	1	Successfully made its way into my system, currently plotting its next move. Nurse says the crash is coming—love that for me.

Current Status: Tied. Chemo landed its first hit, but I’m still here, high on steroids and bad decisions. Stay tuned for Round 2. 💪🔥

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Valentine’s Day Challenge Question: 

Let’s make this fun—because I know the ones still reading are in it for the long haul, like a Marvel movie. Just when you think it’s over—boom! Surprise twist, post-credits scene, and somehow another installment gets announced.

And for those of you who just skipped straight to this part—I love you even more (Zoe, I see you). Skimming is a language all its own, and I respect it.

💘 Love It or Leave It? 💘
Alright, let’s settle this once and for all: Who out there is a true believer in Valentine’s Day—the roses, the romance, the overpriced pre-fixe dinner—and who thinks it’s just a Hallmark-fueled conspiracy designed to make us panic-buy drugstore chocolate at 9 PM?

Do you go all in with candlelit dinners and heartfelt gestures, or do you roll your eyes so hard you risk a medical emergency? Let’s hear it. Love or loathe?

And if you’re really in the mood to share, tell us your craziest Valentine’s Day story. Need inspiration? Here are a few ways to spill the tea:

💔 Worst Valentine’s Day Gift Ever? – What truly tragic excuse for a gift have you received? Bonus points if it involved gas station flowers, a grocery store stuffed animal, or something wildly unrelated to romance. (A vacuum cleaner, perhaps? A gym membership?)

🍕 If You Had to Celebrate, But on Your Terms… – Let’s say you had to acknowledge this day, but you get to rewrite the rules. What does your perfect Valentine’s Day look like? Solo spa day? A whole day where no one talks to you? Bottomless pizza and sweatpants?

🚪 Valentine’s Day Escape Plan? – For those who prefer to dodge the madness, what’s your go-to avoidance strategy? Fake an emergency? Book a dentist appointment just to get out of dinner? Conveniently “lose” your phone for 24 hours?

🎁 Most Unexpectedly Romantic Gesture? – Not necessarily on Valentine’s Day, but what’s the sweetest thing someone has ever done for you? (Or, if you’re feeling spicy, what’s the most painfully unromantic thing that was supposed to be romantic?)

💰 Cupid Needs a Rebrand—What’s Your Version? – Let’s fire Cupid and replace him with something more useful. Who or what should be the new mascot of February 14th? A bartender who never judges your life choices? A person handing out tax refund checks? A cat who loves you only when it’s convenient for them?

Go rogue, get creative, and spill your best (or worst) Valentine’s tea so I know you are with me. ❤️