Rash

Last evening, I developed a rash. The cancer patient's standard list of phenomena requiring an immediate call to his or her oncologist includes observation of a rash. My medical oncologist's covering physician listened by telephone to my description of the rash and decided that, unless it worsened, I could treat it with Benadryl until my previously scheduled appointment for infusion of iron sucrose at MSK's chemotherapy center at 9 a.m. this morning. The registered nurse who examined the rash this morning could not determine its cause or predict its likely course. Per recommendation, I have continued to take Benadryl, which has combined with last Friday's chemotherapy to make me very tired. For the first time since my diagnosis, I spent time in bed in the middle of the day.

I am very apprehensive about the side effects of chemotherapy. My experience so far is that they manifest themselves suddenly and develop unpredictably. Although my primary worry about them is that they will limit my treatment, I also worry about how sick they will make me and to what extent they will limit my ability to socialize.