Chemo: The Good, the Bad, and the Just Plain Weird

So I'm on a dose-dense treatment of Taxol. I've just finished 9 infusions, with 12 more left to go. It's working out pretty well for me so far. My primary tumor shrunk by 50% after just six, and I get another CT scan after I'm done with these next three infusions. Each round is three infusions, followed by a week off. I'm currently on my week off for round 3, and I start round 4 on Tuesday, March 4th.

The bad: Hair loss on my head, and I'm losing my eyebrows and eyelashes. I also have really dry sinuses, and keep getting bloody noses and blowing out clots and scabs. Disgusting. And there's the fatigue. The Fridays following my chemo Tuesdays are always my worst. I feel like a giant bruise and just want to curl up and sleep.

The good: no nausea or neuropathy to date. I did have one day where I felt queasy if I was up and moving around, after my 9th infusion, but that was the first. Hair loss does include my legs and underarms too, so I'm not having to shave anymore so I'm saving on razors (and shampoo). Also, I've stopped bleeding. Which means no cramping. So I don't have to deal with periods on top of this. That's very nice.

The weird: I eat so much! I'm always eating. I'm hungry. I can pack away food like never before. I crave it all, the protein, the carbs, and the sweet desserts. Tonight I had a  huge piece of Lasagna from Old Chicago, and I just decimated it. And I still somehow had room for the craving for dessert that kicked in when I was 3/4 the way through the meal. Frozen yogurt and fresh fruit.