TCHP Chemotherapy: Round 5 of 6 / Day 15 of 21
Sleep: Bah! Six hours of sleep, again. Lately I’ve had very low REM and more light sleep- not ideal. (Deep and REM sleep are when the body recovers). This week, I’m going to make a concerted effort to be in bed by 8:30 (screens off by 7:30), ear plugs in, and sleep mask on (favorite Dore & Rose sleep mask linked below- it’s a real winner).
Whoop Score: My recovery score was 48% (moderate), due in part to the subpar (67%) sleep score. Not my best work! My respiratory rate was also up last night which could indicate fatigue or illness, and my guess is it’s a reflection of some hard workouts this week.
Body Scan: On that same note, my muscles have been sore this week; as I work hard to build & maintain lean muscle. Over the course of the last four months I’ve experienced significant weight loss, and want to prevent sarcopenia (muscle loss that can be associated with chemotherapy and can impact outcomes). My focus on staying fit and strong should be increasing the efficacy of my chemo and reducing the side effects (see article linked below).
On My Mind: There should be a Little Free Library for breast cancer supplies. The amount of THINGS one needs to purchase to better your outcomes or reduce side effects is never-ending. Or maybe a monthly swap meet, at which you can relinquish things you no longer need and snag something you were just about to need to purchase. Or an exchange-match program. I guess they say “necessity is the mother of invention” so perhaps I need to create this.
Fun Fact: Neuropathy sucks. I knew this was a possible side effect to TCHP chemo, but until Round 4, I hadn’t experienced it. I did take preventative measures right away- I ordered hand and feet icing packs (similar to cold capping for hair, these are gloves and socks with ice packs inside- made to reduce blood flow- and therefore chemo impacts- to hands and feet). Now, in Round 5, at approximately days 4-10 after infusion, my hands feel a bit shakey, the bottom of my feet can feel slightly numb, and both my hands and feet occasionally cramp up with no warning. It is worse this round than last round, however, I will note that I fell asleep a lot during this last infusion, and therefore hadn’t put my gloves and socks on- I wonder if the reduced icing time contributed to increased neuropathy. With one infusion left in this series, I will be hyper-focused on icing my hands and feet for the duration. (See below for link to hand/foot icing gloves).
Resources:
Sleep Mask: https://doreandrose.com/en-us/collections/bestsellers/products/deep-face-sleep-mask-dark-blue
Exercise helps fight cancer https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/exercise-during-cancer-treatment--4-things-to-know.h00-159543690.html
Icing Gloves & Socks: https://a.co/d/cr1X2kp
