Thursday, September 15, 2011

How Many Hot Flashes is Too Many?


...trick question__ you can never have enough!

Since being promoted to Lupron a couple months ago my hot flashes have gradually increased in number and intensity—at least half a dozen private mini saunas every day.

They appear mostly at night. Strangely, I wake up about a minute before it happens, then beads of sweat pop out on my forehead and the warmth moves on down to the rest of my body and for a couple of minutes I’m toasty warm all over—sometimes too toasty. I usually get up and walk around and often step outside in an attempt to cool down faster and get back to sleep.

Then, an hour or two later, it starts all over again. My posse (half a dozen friends and acquaintances who are also doing the Lupron Chemo thing) assures me my experience is pretty standard. So why am I telling you all this? Well, if you have prostate cancer and it has recurred after initial treatment, you’re likely to experience something similar sooner or later.

Lucky you! Really! If you get to the hourly steam bath stage it means you’re still alive and you’re keeping the cancer under some level of control. And the sweat is just a part of the blood, sweat, toil, and tears of life (thank you Winston Churchill for those kind words).

axman

3 comments:

Shelley said...

In addition to your posse, you're in good company with the hundreds of thousands of women experiencing the same thing as they go through menopause. I have to say, though, that it's a little odd that my father is getting hot flashes more often than I am!!

Larry Axmaker said...

It's always good when a father and daughter can have a common bonding experience.

Concrete Cutting Equipment said...

I always have a common bonding experience with my lovely father..