Chemo #4

So I'm awful and completely forgot to post after chemo #3. It went well except for my port getting clogged and having to flush it out before we started.
Today was chemo #4 and again my port was clogged. Clearing it adds about 35 minutes to the treatment which isn't so bad. There was a woman  there who was getting her second treatment and had an allergic reaction. She was in a lot of pain and felt like she couldn't breathe. The nurses and doctor acted quickly to make her comfortable. I felt so bad for her and it made me really appreciate how smoothly things are going for me. I've been exhausted and sore all over but that is nothing compared to what some people go through.
I have a PET scan next Friday to check my progress and I really hope it comes back clear. I'm trying not to get my hopes up but still stay positive. Alex comes to visit that day and I can't wait to see him! It will be good having a friend around since I don't really have any here. I met an amazing woman on Facebook who is battling breast cancer while pregnant. I can't even imagine how hard that must be on her but she seems so positive. I hope we can get together and some point and hang out! Today I also reached out to someone from back home who also has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He's actually the CEO of the company I used to work for. I was friends with his brother but never really had a connection to him before. It's awful that we're both in this situation but it's nice having someone from home who is going through the same thing. I really hope we keep in contact!
Someone on my online support group asked if other people think about how they ended up with HL (Hodgkin's Lymphoma). It's something I think about a lot. I know it's not productive to dwell on but I'm still very curious. Many people in the group explained that their doctors suspected it was from exposure to chemicals. Many people either lived near farms where pesticides were sprayed, lived near chemical plants or worked with chemicals. I thought back and couldn't think of any dangerous chemicals being used near me. I've never even touched a bottle of 'Round-up'. I grew up with some of the cleanest air and drinking water there is! I wracked my brain for days before the thought finally came to me... maybe it's from the 15 years of using box hair dye. I've been dying my hair since I was about 10. I would dye my hair several times a year and think nothing of it but there are so many crazy chemicals in box hair dye. I'll probably never know what caused my cancer but it has definitely opened my eyes to all the unnecessary crap we put in and on our bodies.
I'm having trouble remembering all the things I wanted to say so I'll make another post later or tomorrow.

Peace. Love. Fuck cancer