July 9, 2022

Hello, y’all, and Good Morning!  I hope that everyone is enjoying a wonderful Saturday morning.  I took my 5th dose of Xeloda this morning and so far the side effects are minimal.  (PRAISES!)  I have not experienced any nausea/vomiting or diarrhea.  I have had a bit of Hand/Foot Syndrome (HFS) but nothing that has turned into anything debilitating.  (PRAISES!)  – photo included.

The biggest problem that I am experiencing is a headache which starts almost immediately after taking the pills.  Since my liver is already working overtime trying to process the chemo I have chosen not to take Tylenol but Advil.  I get a small amount of relief from Advil but not full relief.  In the grand scheme of things, I will accept this as it’s minimal compared to what could be.  

The one thing to remember and the thing that I am starting to see with the research in some Xeloda support groups that I have joined is that the effects are cumulative and can change with each cycle.  Some have reported no symptoms with X (whatever you want X to be) on Cycle 1 but on Cycle 3 they started having symptoms for X.  I am documenting what my side effects are and I will report them to my oncologist weekly.  

I have requested that we do bloodwork weekly for the first month, maybe longer.  I want to be EXTRA careful about how this is affecting my body.  I want to make sure that my white blood cell (WBC) counts are staying steady and not dropping again and that my liver and kidney functions are staying strong and not showing toxic levels due to this drug.  I’ve also figured out that it’s not uncommon for people taking Xeloda to have to stop and start this drug to allow your body time to “heal” itself so you can keep moving forward.  There are A LOT of people who need one, two, three, or more weeks off before being able to begin again.  Selfishly, I am praying that I can continue forward with no breaks, other than the normal one week off in between the two weeks on so that I can be done with this before Christmas and not have this drag out into the holidays.  

Remember in the beginning I stated that this was a marathon, not a sprint?  Boy, was I right or what?? 

I have been going to acupuncture three times a week for the past few weeks and will continue while I am on Xeloda.  This past week Yvonne started placing little needles between my fingers (and yes, they don’t feel good when they are placed), which are REALLY helping with keeping my hands from having a full-on HFS breakout – which I am so thankful for.   Y’all know that I truly LOVE my acupuncturist, Yvonne.  She is amazing and stays so on top of my symptoms for me.  She is a Godsend – really!  Here is the link to her site for any of my Round Rock peeps that may be interested in trying acupuncture.  You will be so thankful you did.  

I will continue to keep you all updated on how each week goes and how each cycle goes.  I still want to send a big huge “Thank you” to everyone who continues to lift us up in your daily prayers.  God is certainly driving this journey.  He’s protecting my body and keeping me strong.  I can feel your prayers and receive comfort from them as they cover us.  We love you all!

Xo,

Tracy