Breast Cancer Tired But Sleepless?

Every week after a new infusion I feel more and more tired 🥱. Everyone says relax, read a book, watch tv in the middle of the day, do nothing. Yeah right. I try, I really try but there are some things I have to do. Luckily we’re able to hire someone to clean every few weeks, but there are some things that must be cleared daily. We’re two very messy people, clutter could be both of our middle names.

I seem to have lots of phone calls and computer work to do. We’ve only been in this new house for a little over a year and there’s always something I’m having done or making sure it’s done right. 

Then there are the insurance forms and medical bills to handle. We have complicated insurance so I’ve spent a lot of time calling, clarifying, paying, uploading documents, etc.

Regardless, I can handle all of it as I usually do with some breaks in between. 

Granted I’ve had sleep issues for about 31 years. That’s right, my husband used to be a world-class snorer. Eventually, that led to a CPAP machine. Not so bad if you have rugs and soft window treatments.

Now we have a smaller bedroom, no rug, and window shutters. Looks great but the sound seems to carry. Oh yes, we no longer Iive on a farm with no neighbors in sight or within hearing distance. Now we live in the suburbs in a neighborhood with very little space between houses.

I also have some past medical issues with sleep movements but stopped taking that medication last year. I also have an issue with repetitive sounds…

So maybe I’ve covered some of your issues or maybe you have no sleep issues. However, don’t be surprised if one of your side effects of cancer or your infusions is insomnia. I had my sleep issues under control. We have a new remote-controlled mattress. I always wear a sleep ask and I’m serious when I say this: I either wear these heavy-duty construction ear muffs, some lighter-weight electronic sleep earplugs, or at times sleep in a different room from my husband. I've even resorted to sleeping pills since my side effects increased.

I’m not particularly sleepless over cancer. I think about something I should get done the next day or about nothing at all, I would just lie awake the night after my infusion or sometimes any night really. I recently tried sleeping pills. I’m playing with the dosage with my doctor's help. I need a stronger dose that first night and can go with a half dose the rest of the week.

However, not sleeping for whatever reason is Not a good thing. I know it’s important to rest in between treatments. After a week of pretty good sleep, several of my blood levels that were dropping steadily each week bumped up a bit! I’m mostly just over the line into acceptable levels! The only thing that really changed this week was sleep!

So whether it’s industrial earmuffs or a mouth plug for your spouse, get some sleep!

Are Your Hands Burning after Chemotherapy?

I read about different skin irritations that you can get from Chemotherapy.  I have delicate skin so I expected to have run-ins with some skin reactions. With Triple Negative Breast Cancer treatments, I'm expecting all kinds of adverse reactions as the weeks progress. 

After my first infusion, I did feel tingling in my arms and legs that lasted all night long and kept me awake. I found a solution to that by using Cold gloves and cold socks. I keep them in the freezer, and take them in a cooler with me to my infusions. Once the infusion begins, I put them on and I'm good to go. No more tingling-or so I thought.

The new sensation wasn't exactly tingling. It was more like burning and itching. I started to feel it in some spots on my fingers, palm side after the fifth chemo infusion. I mentioned it to my Oncology PA. She said some people reported that sensation on the tips of fingers after typing or the palms of hands if doing something physical. 

It's a sensation that comes and goes. It's more prevalent after I've been fixing a meal, opening a jar, etc. I'm feeling it more often as I do things around the house. I find myself scratching the palms of my hands. The itching and burning aren't intense but are still there. 

You can see from the photos that different areas are irritated based upon what activity I've undertaken. I've had the sensation pop up in my lower back, under my thighs after sitting on the edge of a wooden chair for too long, etc.

                     

I'm going to try to keep the cold gloves on longer this week. I got such a good pair that the frozen part is really thick and cold, and lasts a long time. I was keeping them on one hand and switching off so I had my hands free, plus they're really gold. Maybe I'll leave them out a bit before my infusion starts to I can keep them on longer. 

Chemotherapy and The Great Hair Loss

A friend of mine opted for an expensive cold capping treatment so she wouldn’t lose her hair from chemotherapy. 

If I were younger, I’d probably care more but I was ready to lose it, or do I thought.

My Oncologist says I might or might not lose it during the first series of treatments but guaranteed I’d lose it for the 2nd round. 

I had my hair cut extra short, put my hairdresser on alert, and sat back. I have fairly thick hair so I figured it would probably only thin out some in the beginning. 

To my surprise, the morning of my third infusion, it started to fall out! The shower drain was full of my hair, 

My hair was pretty short and wavy so I didn’t usually brush it, just ran my fingers through it. That morning it came out in my hands when I ran my fingers through my hair!

I dealt with it another few days and then made an appointment with my hairdresser to cut it all off four days after the fallout began.

Now that it's gone, it's a bit weird. I don't see myself as much as my husband so I don't wear a headscarf when I'm inside in the SC heat. He doesn't care. I'm often taken aback a bit when I do see myself in a mirror. 

I expect to be completely bald with the next series of infusions. Meanwhile, my hair is really short and any fallout is much easier to manage.!

Getting Ready

My supportive angel

Shave it off!

Layer by layer she kept going

Scar from falling off a horse

Close enough

How does this work

Let the expert do it

We did it together

The new lighter me