High Dose Chemo Minus 3

I noticed last night and again throughout today that my lower legs, ankles and toes are swelling. Yesterday I had to sit all day due to the length of the high dose chemo. Today's dose was only 45 minutes long. So after my last chemo session (hopefully the last one ever) and then after my medications and my lunch, I went for a long walk throughout the hospital. I'm keeping my legs raised and going walking in the effort to lessen the swelling. I dropped in and visited with my old volunteers in the Tuck Shop and also some regular customers. I walked over to the chemo lab in the Cancer Centre to say hello to the nurses who looked after me earlier in this journey of cancer. Only one nurse I knew was there. She smiled at me as she worked with her current cancer patient. I was attempting to walk briskly and was running out of breath quickly. My hubby was with me and suggest I could slow down. I want to get myself back into shape and keep walking even as I was tiring. I did receive some encouragement from one of the porters that I know from working at the hospital. I dropped in to see the volunteers in the Gift Shop. I then returned to my room. I did go for another couple of shorter walks later on in the afternoon.

I met with the nutritionist who works on the floor that I'm staying in. I am on a high protein diet. I get to choose my menu for my lunches and my dinners. Tonight I had a high fiber Tilapia dinner with wild rice, steamed broccoli and corn. I noticed that a high protein snack was added to my meal for later. It is peanut butter and crackers with a 2% milk.  The hospital food isn't that bad. Maybe this is because I'm not tired of it yet.

I'm on constant IV fluids to keep me hydrated and my potassium and magnesium up to where they need to be. There is a chart in my room to compare my blood levels every day. This means that blood is taken from me everyday to check the levels and I will be able to see when they go down. I have been told that it is normal for people to get blood transfusions to bring up the red blood cell counts and the platelet counts.

I apparently will feel good this weekend but by next weekend, I will be feeling ill and will go downhill after that for another 7-14 days before my counts rebound.

I am tired and bored. However, I do have things to occupy my time. So far I've continued knitting my socks and reading in the evening before bedtime. I have some colouring books and pencil crayons but I haven't coloured yet. I also have some magazines that I could read. I'm sure I'll get to doing these activities before I leave the hospital.