Chemo's over, but the fun continues

(If you'd like to start at the beginning of this blog, it's here.)

On Tuesday, I saw my regular doctor. I wanted to talk with her about some post-chemo symptoms that I suspect are a result of the chemo:

• Dry and plugged up nose, and dry mouth.
• Fungal toenail thing, which wasn't complimenting the discolored and cracked appearance of my toenails.

• The surgery site from the removal of the chest port had a stitch working its way out, it looked infected, and had a big lump beneath it.
•  Worst of all, I'm starting to look like Patrick Stewart, with hair growing on the sides of my head and hardly any growing on top.

The few times I've seen my GP during treatment for cancer, it's been normalizing. She's not treating me for cancer. Seeing her reminds me that most of my life the medical treatment I receive will be for mundane things, like arthritis, skin tags, farting in public - all the physical joys that are interesting when middle age begins, and a pain in the ass when it becomes obvious they're not just visiting.

She told me that chemo dries out mucous membranes, thus my dry nose and mouth. She gave me stuff for that.

She confirmed I've managed to pick up a toenail fungus, and gave me stuff for that. 

She looked at the surgery site. I told her that I'd been able to pull part of a stitch out, and I had to trim it so it wasn't hanging outside the wound. It probably became infected then. She agreed the lump of scar tissue under my skin is large, and was going to ask the PA who took out the port about it.

And, she told me that if male pattern baldness runs in my family, I've probably inherited it and the hair on top of my head will grow slower than elsewhere.

Great.

I scared the heck out of myself this morning when I Googled "male pattern baldness" and "breast cancer" and "chemo".

The very white hair that first shot out on my head is being joined by darker hair that's a little shorter.

My eyebrows have continued to fall out, though there are signs they're starting to grow back in. There's some kind of activity going on under the skin where the eyebrows were; it looks dark like hairs are about to break through. I have exactly one original eyebrow remaining on the right and three on the left. And, my eyelashes are beginning to peek out into the world again.

My GP also talked about perfumes, and how they irritate sinuses that are already compromised. She said hand sanitizers are one of the worst offenders; they have to have lots of perfume added to not reek of rubbing alcohol.

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I am crocheting myself a new hat out of cotton embroidery thread. As the days warm and the hot flashes continue, I don't want to wear anything too insulating on my head when I'm out in public.

*******

On Monday, I go in to Radiation Oncology for my final treatment planning appointment. I'll be getting my third itty-bitty tattoo. If there's time at the end of the treatment planning, they'll give me my first radiation therapy jolt. And, we'll nail down the time each weekday that I'll be going there for the next six weeks.