Monday 01.18.2010 Chemo Brain? Efffexor Withdrawal?

I slept a little better last night, though still waking frequently. The alarm went off for me to get up--I can't complain about it, I've had so much time off.

Dan had just gotten up, and I was just finishing my make-up when my phone rang. Again??

I talked with my co-worker. There are two of us in my job role today, and we only need one. I've lost 24 hours already this pay; she's lost 18 1/2. So by "turns" it's my turn to work. But she is one of the girls I've told that I would take her staffing hours, as her husband is in Iraq, she's expecting, and will be having time off for the baby. So, I offered to stay home this morning and split the shift with her. My head is still "funny" anyway.

I stayed up until Dan left for work then I went back to bed. I'm happy to say that I did go back to sleep, waking around 9.

I got up and realized that my head is still odd. It's difficult to explain. When I turn my head quickly, or turn my eyes to look at something, it's almost like a jolt around the outside of my brain, within the skull. I know. It's weird, and most difficult to describe. I do know that it's very strange. It reminds me of when I was having the chemotherapy. Not fun. The other piece of this is that I haven't had the effexor 37.5 mg since Friday's dose. Is this an effect of stopping it?? When I've researched the effexor, people who have problems are taking way larger doses, like 300 mg.

I breakfasted and called work to verify that we are going to split the shift. Yup. I got ready to go, as I need to be there by 12:30.

I had a good drive down, thank you God. The beauty of the foliage today was something we don't see often; there had been fog earlier and was mostly lifted, but the air was cold enough that the moisture that had collected on the trees and shrubs and grasses had frozen. Everything was coated with a frosty ice (the roads were hardly wet, though, so driving was ok) and shades of gray. Gray sky, gray landscape. Almost eerie. By the time I got to Jackson the air temperature was a little warmer, so there wasn't the ice formation there.

I found a parking place and walked the 2 blocks to the hospital, which is strange to do with my head feeling the way it does.

We had a good afternoon, and I was surprised to see that the night shift had arrived. Yippee!

A good drive home, thanks again, but it was really dark.

Dan was home, too. We talked a bit, but he was doing computer stuff. Me too. He fell asleep before too long and has gone to bed.

Dan finally has a day off tomorrow. I will work. I hope my head is better.

Thank you for reading. Hugs.