Day 11: Side effects and Kate Gosselin hair

So today was my eleventh day of treatment, or second day of my third week. This is when the side effects will begin, the doctors say. No fatigue yet, but I'm really trying to do everything I can to not feel it if it's there. The nurse who told me to "exercise no matter what" seems to think I can minimize the fatigue if I keep moving. I don't think I've been this consistent about exercise since my college "two a days" getting ready for a spring break beach trip. (Thanks to Boni for praying that I can keep it up.)

The other main side effect is hair loss or thinning. I'm starting to see more hair coming out in the brush and more on my clothing. I'd be lying if I said it hasn't startled me. It's one thing to hear it in a list of side effects when you're in "I'm gonna beat this" mode -- and another thing to experience it. But this is just part of the journey.

I'll have to share a picture of my hair soon. The area of my head that was shaved for surgery has grown back about an inch and a half long. I am now a Kate Gosselin (hair) look alike. Not what I would choose, but I can say I have a (D-list) celebrity hairstyle.

 

 

The radiation has been fairly good to me, whereas finding an anti-seizure med that agrees with me has been our toughest challenge since my last post. I've gone from Keppra to Lamictal back to Keppra. The Lamictal was making me crazy. Not to be disrespectful to the mentally ill, but I could've had myself committed. My anxiety was off the charts in a way that made me feel like I was seconds away from something terrible happening (ie. heart attack, going off a cliff, etc.) When I closed my eyes at night, I had the worst sleep disturbances. My mind was like a movie theatre running random, sometimes disturbing images, at 10 frames a second. It was like that freaky tunnel scene in Willy Wonka.  There were too many other intolerable side effects to mention. I had to stop the Lamictal.

So today is Day 1 of returning to the Keppra. Please pray this works with minimal if any side effects. The doctor didn't seem to have answers as to why I tolerated it before (at much higher dosages) but had issues with a lower dosage recently. If this doesn't work, we go to the archives of epileptic drugs that aren't used very much anymore since Keppra and Lamictal ("more tolerable") came out.

A final note of thanks to all who have contributed your well wishes, prayers, and blessings for my love chain. I look forward to reading them each day and will forever treasure your words. My favorite message today was from one of Mom's friends: "God's Will will never take you where God's Grace will not protect you."

Much love and thanks to you all!

 

Please enjoy the Biscuit Gallery. She will be six months old a week from tomorrow!