When Tears are Dry

Karen didn't do her chemo session today. The bloodwork came in ok but her blood pressure was low and she just didn't feel up for it. Tired and poisoned. The chemo is keeping the cancer down but it's tough love. Poison. We wish it wasn't so. We have to feel our way to a balance on the harsh meds and  treatment regimes. Moving from three weeks on and one week off to two on one off for a bit. Karen's body needs more recovery. This is a  tricky balancing act. 
Eyes that  constantly tear. Another side effect. Not as bad as the breathing problems but another damn nuisance. We visited an eye doctor after the oncologist today. We found out that Karen's  tears are actually a symptom of dry eyes. Tears have three layers and the chemo is probably disrupting the lipid layer. All this to say some more meds to add to the daily regime. 
Every different specialist wants to know what medications Karen takes. We have a print out a mile long. I hand it to the receptionists; It takes them a long time to enter them into the computer. I could recite them, but that  takes a long time too. I like to know what they are, what they do and what the side effects are. I feel like I'm studying for a medical degree.

Last week I wrote about breathing problems. They're still with us, but a portable generator is in the works after being tested to see if she can manage a "pulse" type regulator. Apparently, she can, although it take very purposeful breathing to operate. Thankfully it is only needed for situations where portability is needed. 

                                               Photo - Seems like Karen's medication list is this long

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