🌀 Mood: Shaken but watchful

It only took one routine shot to remind me: cancer doesn’t always follow the rules.

By Chemo Week 5, I thought I knew what to expect. I’d had this shot ten times before without a problem. Routine. Predictable. I didn’t think twice about it.

But this time was different.

First came the chills, sudden and deep — no amount of blankets enough to make me warm. Then my skin turned hypersensitive — even wearing clothes hurt. Every brush of fabric felt like sandpaper. Soon after, my right leg became heavy and unresponsive. Walking up and down the stairs became nearly impossible without pain.

The days that followed brought new surprises. Lightheadedness would hit without warning. Tingling crept up and down my body, like a current I couldn’t turn off. Each symptom added a layer of unease, making me feel like I no longer knew what my own body might do next.

After ten uneventful doses, this reaction blindsided me. What I thought was predictable suddenly wasn’t.

When I see my doctor, I’ll be asking what changed — why my body responded this way now, and what it means for the weeks ahead. For the first time in this process, I felt truly unsure of my footing.

Week 5 was supposed to be routine. Instead, it left me shaken, reminded once again that nothing about this journey can be taken for granted.

Even in the unpredictability, I’m learning to stay present. To ask questions. To keep walking, even when the ground shifts beneath me.