Laurie White’s Blog

Well, during chemo, I felt guilty that things were going so easily.

I no longer feel that way. I figure I’m finally paying my cancer dues.

I knew I’d have side effects from the treatment. I just didn’t anticipate the side effects of the side effects.

I had surgery to remove the cancer. Fine. But the post-operative pain led me to sleep funny and brought on the side effect of sciatica. So I slept on a heating pad (yeah, yeah, I know I shouldn’t, but it turns off after an hour) to help the sciatica. But now it looks like the heating pad has caused a rash. (Fortunately, I noticed it yesterday morning before radiation started, so I don’t have to worry that it was caused by the radiation.)

It’s not a big deal. I remember all the side effects my mother had from her lung cancer treatment; they had to go so far as to amputate one of her legs to deal with them. But it’s just frustrating to be this close to the end of treatment and to keep getting surprised by stupid little things.

I’m just waiting to see what’s going to happen as a result of the cream I used on the rash. Will my skin dry out? Will I get joint pain? Will my teeth turn purple?

Bleh.