Third Time's a Charm!

So here I was coming up on my third round of chemo!   The plan initially was four which was apparently a short course since I was stage 1.  If you are higher stages that equals more chemotherapy to kill the cancer. I was happy I didn’t need much more b/c even though you know the tumor is gone and its working, it doesn’t get any easier to go back for more.  In fact each one got harder and harder to get pumped up for.  As soon as you start to feel good you know you will be hit with it yet again and you will feel crummy and all that.  My side effects were pretty similar each time, the sinus headache, jaw pain, being tired, and not being able to poop for like 5 days.  At times the ends of my fingers were tingling which was a side effect of the vincristine because it affects your nerve endings.  That also caused my constipation.  Little bugger.  It is a tiny amount of a drug but packs a powerful punch.  My port was doing fine and it served its purpose of getting the chemo in my body without damaging my veins.  When I arrived for chemo number 3, my Doctor told me some great news.  He said since the tumor was no longer felt on exam and it seemed to shrink rather quickly that this 3rd chemo would be my last!  Best day ever!  Even though it would have been only one more after that one, I would rather not have to put my body through that.  I got my chemo as usual, and luckily I never had any kind of drug reaction that could happen.  The side effects were very similar this third round.  I was told I would have a few extra weeks in there to recover before moving on to the second stage of my treatment.  Radiation.  Radiation I was told would be easier but I would have to go monday through friday for about 5-6 weeks.  That sounded like a piece of cake compared to chemo.  By this time it was March.  Spring break was coming up.  I didn’t go anywhere of course, but was happy that my return to school in Austin would come sooner than I thought.  I realize things could have been much worse and the reaction to chemo could have been worse so I began to feel grateful and some of that anger and sadness was beginning to leave me.  I was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Then I realized my hair would grow back faster than I thought.  I would be 21 that August and wanted to have some hair back on my head!  I was still continuing my two classes at a local community college online but I had to go in three different times for testing.  It was classes I didn’t really care for and it was hard to study like that so I think I made a B and a C in them, but they served a purpose.  It reminded me I was still a college student and it helped me feel somewhat normal and gave me something to do other than be home feeling sick and sorry for myself.  I was thankful that stupid tumor under my arm was gone and was no longer plaguing me with pain and a constant reminder that something was wrong.  No longer would I have to have that crazy cocktail of drugs called CHOP.  I knew this was it.  This chemo was behind me, and I remembered my guardian angel that day……