I went to a party with several musicians. Mary said hello and I gave her a hug. She then politely excused herself because she was having hot flashes and needed to go outside on the cool deck. I said Mary I get hot flashes too. Let me join you.
One of the chemo drugs really changed my body. I am sure it did a great job killing cancer but after taking this drug three years ago I am still very sensitive to hot and cold. I was warned in writing that one of the side effects of this treatment was being hyper sensitive to hot and cold. If I stepped out of a warm shower and if my body was hit by a cool breeze, I would be freezing. If I would pick up a glass filled with ice water my fingers would feel like high voltage electricity was surging through my fingers.
Today, three years later I still have hot flashes and get chilled and freezing in a mild bay area climate. So I asked Mary how she deals with hot flashes. She explained her solution. We step outside on the deck and cool off. Doesn’t take long to bring our body temperature back to balance. Another friend offer’s us a toke on a joint. We chat about the latest news then we return to the party ready to eat, drink, and be merry.
Today I carry layers of clothing in the trunk of my car and I make adjustments with clothing to be comfortable. My hunch is that this will be my experience for the rest of my life no matter how long it has been since I took Oxyplatin®.
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