Second Covid Shot; Update on Side Effects

I got my second covid shot yesterday. The only side effect I've experienced so far is a sore arm. I forgot to bring my vaccination card, but it was no biggie. They gave me a new card and marked it for the second shot. Now I can get a free donut from Krispy Kreme. 🍩

This morning I got my every three weeks infusion. The pharmacy got my drugs ready early, and my infusion ended an hour earlier than usual. It took just a little over two hours.

Next stop was a covid test. It's required before I can have surgery. The test is so unpleasant. They insert the swab very deep into your nose. Even though the test is not painful, it's so awful that I'd rather get an injection. When I drove away from the drive-thru site, I pulled over for a while and cried. I think I got overwhelmed by everything that's going on. This was the first time I cried over my illness. It's been six months since I discovered my tumor. Not bad.

My last chemo session was on Feb. 22. My eyelashes and eyebrows started falling out after that. I didn't lose them all, and more fell out of one side than the other. I lost all the eyelashes on the right and a lot of the right eyebrow. But now new eyelashes are already growing out, and my eyebrows are starting to fill in. 

My hair is also starting to grow out. It's still quite short, less than 1/8", but it's long enough to make my scalp look dark.

Other improvements: 

• My skin is not so dry anymore. I'm not shedding skin all over the place like I used to.
• I've gained weight. My appetite is back, food tastes good again, and I'm eating way more than I should. This morning I weighed 105 at my appointment.
• My fatigue went away about 10 days after my last chemo. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared. I thought it would go away gradually, but no.
• I've had a runny nose since my first chemo. I've gone through several boxes of tissues. Sometimes I'd be blowing my nose nonstop for several minutes. My nose was bloody too. It finally stopped a month after my chemo ended.

What hasn't gone away is the off-and-on diarrhea. It's a side effect of Perjeta. I'm afraid I'll be experiencing diarrhea till December. My potassium was low again this morning. I was given 40 mEq of potassium. It was in powder form this time, orange flavor and very salty. I was given apple juice to mix it with. I'm glad they didn't give me the humongous tablets that I had trouble swallowing.

Tomorrow I have two pre-op procedures scheduled. Surgery is on Wednesday. I was stressing out over the procedures and surgery. Now that I've got my questions answered, I'm feeling more calm. I just wish it hadn't taken such a long time to get them answered.