Chemo 1 - Day 4

So, I managed to get myself six hours sleep last night. Extremely happy about this although it did leave me with a bit of a headache and a very furry tongue. I drink a few glasses of water to help with this but the water has a strange taste to it today.
I take my steroids at 7:00am and once again become very aware of my heartbeat. This usually calms down by about lunchtime and today is my last day of taking these tablets so maybe this sensation won't be with me tomorrow.
10:00am and I get to have my first poo since chemo. This is a lovely treat and has been very much worth the wait. I also have the strongest urge for a hot cross bun. Hubby gets on the phone to his mum to bring some up with her. I just hope that my stomach agrees with them when they get here.
I notice a few hairs falling onto my iPad screen this morning. This comes as a bit of a shock as I didn't think that this would start happening until the 2-3 week mark. My hair isn't coming out in great clumps but just a strand or two every now and then. When I brush my hands through my hair I am also noticing 4 or 5 strands of hair in my hands.
12:00pm and the mother in law arrives with the hot cross buns. She also brings me a lovely bunch of flowers and some ready salted crisps. I manage to eat and enjoy a cheese and tomato sandwich followed by the hot cross buns and my word they were DELICIOUS!
I'm also managing to tolerate a little bit of orange squash with my water, which helps to take away the funny taste a bit. It's nice to finally be getting some flavour again.
4:00pm and I start to feel a little peculiar. I feel very hot but again I have no temperature. I open my window a bit and lay on my bed and try to relax. I hate feeling odd as this is when my anxiety starts kicking in and a panic attack could strike. I have to try and break the vicious cycle and try to distract my mind from the unpleasant sensations.
I play a few games on my iPad, try watching a bit of television and start writing my diary for today. This all helps to calm me a little bit but by 5:30pm I am still not quite myself, a bit jangled if you like. I'm sure I will be fine once these hot flushes pass.
I manage some plain boiled rice and peas for my tea followed by some watermelon and another hot cross bun but the hot flushes are really not easing. I have to get hubby to switch off the heating in the rest of the house and open my bedroom windows as far as they can go. I spend the rest of the evening laid on my bed in the starfish pose with cold flannels on me, trying my hardest to ride out the sweats. I feel absolutely drained, no energy what so ever and I am desperate for some sleep. Unfortunately I can only manage some light dozing for periods of half an hour at a time.
I eventually get to sleep by around 3:00am but I am wide awake again by 6:00am. I think the hot flushes may have gone though. PHEW!