Friday was Good, Until It Wasn't

After a really good day, and I mean really good, Friday night went a bit sideways.  After some golf in the morning and a 'manicure' in the afternoon, my husband and I had a lovely dinner with friends, Candace behaved, and most importantly, I felt good.  

But as they say, all good things must come to an end.  We got home around 10:00pm (late for me but still feeling good), I took Candace off, and I went to wash my face.  In the span of 3 hours, my entire face had broken out into, what I know now is, chemo acne or rash.  My skin was red, covered in bumps and I looked awful.  Grabbed my cancer binder - nothing in the handouts from the office.  Did an online search "acne with chemotherapy".  And there it is.  Webmd laid it out for me - 'most common within the first two to three weeks' and looks like 'a group of small pimples and ... blisters'.  Yippee.  More unanticipated fun.

This morning it was worse;  when I woke up, I had more on my neck and chest.  And my face was puffy - a call to the doctor was in order.  My oncologist provided me with a list of 'symptoms' or 'conditions'; if I have any of them, I am to call MGH immediately and page the doctor on call.  Swollen face is one of the symptoms.  In record time, I received a call back from a very sympathetic doctor who explained that this happens and unless I need to go to the ER, probably best to wait until my appointment on Wednesday.

Here I am, with the angry skin of a teenager.  The puffiness is gone but the rash remains. I don't even know what to do about it - lotion? Acne gel? Will that aggravate it?  The irony is, I have a pharmacy of drugs with me from my medical team - for acid reflux, nausea, aches, pains and diarrhea.  Absolutely nothing for this.  

It feels kind of like a punch in the gut.  As a teenager, I had horrible acne.  I took all kinds medicine for it for years, and to this day, still see a dermatologist for acne control.  So more than some of the other side effects, this one hit home.  

Maybe it's the Saturday scaries this week - last week it was the drug bubble.  This week acne?  Maybe I shouldn't plan for anything on Saturdays going forward.  Who knows. I went for a walk in the woods this morning (no one to see me other than a sympathetic friend who joined me) and will lay low the rest of the day.  Here's hoping things calm down soon. xo J

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