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Chemo #5 of 12 is done, and there is not really much to report. The weeks are following a pretty clear pattern:

Wednesday: chemo
Thursday: feel fine until evening, when my skin starts to hurt
Friday: skin feels better but usually wake up jittery. Jitters fade as day goes on but I get kind of tired and spacey, like when you have the flu.
Saturday: more or less like Friday, maybe a little better.
Sunday/Monday/Tuesday: more or less normal.

So, all things told, it's really like a day and a half of badness and the rest of the time just waiting around for the next dose. I am lucky in that my side effects are not of the nausea/vomiting/mouth sores/other terrible horribleness that some of the other drugs can cause. I do have some aches and shooting pains on days 3-5 and other minor things that go on throughout the week but, in the interest of not being gross, I'll just not go into that.

The main problem with Taxol is neuropathy (tingling and numbness of the hands and feet), but since I am on a weekly dose the chance of that occurring is supposed to be less than on the older spaced-out higher dosages. I'm taking glutamine and B-6 supplements, which the internet says can also help decrease the likelines and severity, although my doctor doesn't seem to think it makes much difference. I haven't had any of that yet, anyway, and I hope I can stave it off until close to the end. If it gets bad enough, it can be permanent, which I do not want.

I did shave my head last week, which all things considered was not as traumatic as I imagined. People keep telling me I look good bald. Since most of them are my friends, they might be lying, but one of the warehouse guys I have never met before said to me in the parking lot, "that haircut looks sexy. But I ain't tryin' to hit on you or nothin'." I do have a wig and wear it sometimes, but it's suddenly weirdly hot outside and it's a lot more comfortable to go without, especially for a long period of time like an entire workday. It also feels like I'm wearing a costume - I know it looks natural to people looking at me, but it doesn't really feel natural to me to be wearing it. I'm sure I will get used to it as time goes on, though.

So that's it! After next week I will be half done! With this part of it, anyway.