My Side Effects: An Introduction

All right, let's get to the nitty gritty. Chemo side effects. They're rough. They're tough. And you just have to get through them.

I'm only half-way through chemo and each cycle has surprised me with something new. (Here's to six more treatments' worth of surprises!)

I'm going to start a series of posts dedicated to the wonderful harrowing world of chemo side effects such as, but not limited to: fatigue, mouth pain, bone pain, nausea, and menstrual changes! Yay!

This series will only cover the side effects that I have personally experienced and how I cope with them. Every patient is different and their experiences will differ from mine. Remember to always discuss your symptoms and concerns with your doctor. I sure do.

My Sixth Chemo Costume: Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Good news! Thursday marked my half-way point of chemo treatments. Six completed, six to go. Yay!

Thursday was also Harry Potter's birthday! Happy would-be 34th, Harry!

To commemorate one of my favorite book series and another one of my favorite characters, I present...

Hermione Granger!

Trivia: Hermione and I share the same birthday! (Hermione the character that is, not the actress. And I'm younger than the character would be.)

Uh-oh! Looks like Hermione is under the Calvoio curse. Better fix this.

Oh no! Now I look like a purple-haired Snape!

One more try.

Fun! I look like Tonks!

Still, there has to be a spell somewhere to remedy this.

Ah! Much better au naturel!

I got a bit crafty these past couple weeks and taught myself how to knit (which led to lots of R&R and less severe side effects). That scarf hanging on my chair—knitted it myself! Took several days to learn, several attempts and failures and restarts, a Harry Potter movie marathon, finishing the YA novel Allegiant on tape, several TV episodes, and other time spenders. When I finished I realizeded a scarf is way too hot to wear for summertime. Oh well. It makes for nice decor. (Pattern: garter stitch, cast on 25 stitches, knit 34 red, 4 yellow, 6 red, 4 yellow, repeat 10 times or until desired length, end with 34 red, add tassels.)

I also made the wand myself using printer paper, hot glue, and paint. Seriously! Here's the online tutorial I used: Homemade Wand Tutorial.

Oh yeah, and behind the scenes, after taking Hermione fun photos I immediately changed into pajamas because realistically I felt more like this (minus the slugs):

(Warning: Avoid watching if you get squeamish.)

Source: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

All in all,

Mischief Managed!