After completing my first round of R-Dexa-BEAM (Chemo #9), I got another CT scan to see how well my body has responded to this regimen. The outcome of the scan was very positive and the doctors were impressed with the rate my tumor has shrunk. In an effort to reach to complete remission as close as possible, they decided for me to undergo a final and second round of R-Dexa-BEAM before proceeding to the stem cell transplant.
Anyways, I am quite content with this chemo round as the side effects were pretty much as manageable as the other R-Dexa-BEAM round minus the shingles. I definitely felt anxious about another shingles recurrence because of the recurrence I already experienced. Thankfully the doctors paid close attention by ensuring that I was given antiviral medications to reduce the possibility of a shingles recurrence. My skin is healing, blisters are gone....the only annoying thing is that my skin is itching like crazy. But hey, it is a sign that it is healing and it is much better than going through nerve pain and burning sensation.
Again, I am so happy that I didn't experience nausea. Because of no nausea, my appetite was pretty good. In fact, it was so good that I even begged the nurses for leftover meals. Looking back, it was actually due to the Dexamethasone which causes cravings. Dexamethasone is the reason why I have a moon face. The high amount of steroids (like Dexamethason) that I have been taking caused my face to puff up. Thankfully these things are reversible. I do take naps quite often because of the fatigue. There was a bit of mouth pain and dryness but it was manageable using mouth wash. My blood counts were quite stable. Unlike the previous chemo, there was no sign of infection or fever.
I would rate this chemo round a 9/10.
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