Jinx!

The superstitious part of me suspected that this might happen. After posting my last journal entry stating my gratefulness for not suffering much nausea during chemo, I had two days of very serious nausea culminating in a 3am vomit-fest a couple nights ago. I should have just kept my mouth shut (fingers shut?) and not said anything. 

Actually, we're suspicious that I may actually be suffering some cumulative effects of the chemo. I was warned about this before I started but then, probably because my first round was as bad as it was, I quickly forgot the warnings about poisons (callin' it as I feel it) accumulating in my system. 

There's the nausea, which can be pretty bad at times, but is a consistent low-level problem right now. I also continue to feel weak and tired, something I was able to work my way out of as recently as the end of the last round. I'm writing this on Day 20 of this round, and still feeling poorly enough that I'm still sticking pretty close to home and not doing much. On Day 20 of the last round, I had already been out and doing some low-level hiking. 

I'm seeing my reaction to the side-effects of chemo as a bell curve, with the absolute worst days usually peaking around Day 7, then slowly tapering off through about Day 14. I still wasn't 100% after Day 14, but I had enough energy to start doing things. This round, the curve before the peak is lower and the peak itself is lower (both good) but the taper-off that should be happening afterward looks more like a plateau. 

I don't go in for my next infusion until October 1, so I still have next week to feel better, but the pace with which it's happening now is not encouraging. My wife and I both definitely think I'm dragging due to the cumulative effects of this damn chemo. 

Perhaps it goes without saying, but this new "extension" of ill effects is depressing.