Neropathy

My first round of chemo was really more about the radiation.  The chemo in July was just what they call a "booster."  It's not super powerful, it's used with the radiation to make that treatment work better.
.
My big issue with my first round of treatment was definitely the stomach issues.  Nausea, inability to keep food in my stomach, complete lack of appetite.  It was draining, the radiation 5 days a week in the middle of the day in the middle of a super-hot summer.
.
This round of chemo is very different.

For one, the drugs are much more powerful, it's a "systemic" treatment, meaning it's designed to surge through my whole body and kill any cancer cells it finds.  It's more potent, and more damaging.
.
I've gotten off pretty easy side-effect wise on this round.  For a lot of people the 2 chemo drugs I'm on completely tank their immune systems.  They are often ravaged by nausea, vomiting, drastic changes in their taste buds.
.
My big issue with this round is the Neuropathy.  It's been mostly in my feet (at least the numbness has been), my legs (pain), and my forearms (pain).  Tonight, the numbness and stiffness started creeping into my hands.
.
And I'll be honest, I freaked out a little bit.  It's been frustrating enough to deal with the numbness in my feet, and the pain in my legs.  I'm on gabapentin, which seems to work most of the time to a certain degree.  But for some reason, tonight it's just not really cutting it.  So I'm in pain.  My feet sort of cycle between various stages of numbness and pain, my ankes, shins, forearms- deep shooting bone pain.
.
And now, as an added bonus, there is a numbness, and bone pain creeping into my hands... mostly  my left- but really in both.
.
So, I lost it a little bit.  Had a good cry.  Got frustrated.  Took a 3rd Gabapentin.  And now I'm trying to sleep.  It might be one of those nights that needs nyquil.  Sometimes the best option is just to try and sleep through the worst of it.
.
Less than a week to my next (and last) chemo treatment.  Then it's a few more weeks of side-effects and then... hopefully I'll be Cancer Free.... and side-effect free... neuropathy free.  And in the meantime...
.
Well, some nights you just have to have a little fit, and then do your best to sleep through the worst.