As I embark on my chemotherapy journey, I thought it might be helpful to share what I know about the chemotherapy itself and what I might expect to experience. My treatment is commonly referred to as “BR” and is regularly used to treat Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. It consists of bendamustine, which prevents cancer cells from dividing and growing and can also cause them to shrink and die, and rituximab, which is a monoclonal antibody that targets cancer cells more precisely than chemotherapy drugs. All of this is on the “patient treatment information” provided by my oncologist. Along with six pages of side effects that may or may not happen to me at any point during the course of my treatment.

Six, 28-Day Cycles

The course of treatment consists of six, 28-day cycles. Days 1 and 2 are the actual “infusion” days. Day 1 includes both the bendamustine and rituximab, while Day 2 only involves the bendamustine. March 30 was my Day 1, and the infusion started around 9:00 a.m. and lasted until around 2:00 p.m. In addition to the chemotherapy drugs, they also gave me a steroid, anti-nausea medicine, and Benadryl. March 31 was my Day 2 and only took about an hour. Thus far, I am receiving the infusions by IV and have pretty purple bruises as temporary reminders of Days 1 and 2.

As we were wrapping up on Day 2, my nurse warned me – again – that I will be experiencing a lot in the next 26 days and to refer to my sheet of “call the doctor” symptoms as I experience them.

“Call the Doctor” Symptoms/Side Effects

Some of the potential side effects are listed in a table that is divided by whether they are common (risk of infection, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, constipation), less common (risk of bleeding, rash, mouth sores and pain, fluid retention, anorexia or appetite loss), and rare (anemia). Then there’s the list of “other” side effects, including fatigue, headaches, cough, dehydration, pain, night sweats, trouble sleeping, high blood sugar, and hives. And in another section, they list the really serious ones, like kidney problems and heart failure.

Of course, they cannot predict who will experience what – or at what point in the 28-day cycle you will experience them. They did say, though, that many patients on this particular chemotherapy experience the most side effects on Days 3-10 of the 28-day cycle.  I am hoping that is the case because I have plans with friends on days 11-13 and later in the month, and I want to enjoy myself!!

The doctor also provided a list of symptoms that require an immediate call to his office, including a fever above 100.5, unusual bleeding, severe vomiting or diarrhea, painful urination, prolonged constipation, seizures, irregular heartbeat, severe fluid retention, swelling around your eyes, inability to eat, and depression or thoughts of suicide.

The Uncertainty of “Waiting” for the Side Effects to Start

I am now on Day 4 of my first cycle. Based on what many patients experience, I should expect to be experiencing something by now. I want to take full advantage of every day with no side effects, and yesterday was a pretty good day. I experienced some brief nausea and took the prescribed medication (Zophran), which worked. Other than that, I enjoyed some good reading, an uplifting movie, and time with my kitty. I went outside and took a walk around our yard, looking at some of the spring flowers that are already blooming and the ones that will be coming up soon. It was a beautiful day! By yesterday evening, I started to feel some fatigue, but I have been experiencing that for a few months now because of the cancer and my related anemia.

I felt a bit different when I woke up today. I am experiencing some fatigue, and it was a struggle to eat all of my breakfast. I also had some nausea again and took Zophran. Nothing too bad, though. After resting for a little while, I feel closer to normal again and am ready to embrace the day.

So at this point, my greatest side effect is probably the anxiety and uncertainty of what is going to happen and when. Of course, if that is the worst I experience, I would ultimately be thankful.