Hydration & TMI & Other Side Effects

I normally don't have trouble staying hydrated. Most days, I carry around a liter-sized Nalgene bottle, full or mostly full of icy cold water, and I refill it at least once every day. The past 2 days, though, I've been struggling with it. I've not moved more than a few feet from my couch or bed. I've not had my trusty Nalgene. I've been drinking water or ginger ale through a straw from a pint glass. It makes it difficult to gauge the amount of fluid I've been taking in.

Here comes the TMI part:


My brother says that I should monitor my output - specifically, give him my urine so that he can extract the platinum from it. He says that at least I'd make some money off this crazy chemo thing. I say that, while he has a point, I'm not saving my pee. For anyone. Including and especially for my brother. Anyway, I'm not taking carboplatin anymore, so there's probably not much money-making to be had from it...
For now, at least, I'm making a concerted effort to drink more. I'm making little tic marks on my hand for each pint of water I've drunk. The goal is at least 5 for today.

On a happy note, I haven't needed my anti-nausea pills all day today. Granted, I've not felt *great,* but I've also felt like I could keep water and food down without significant chemical assistance.
Heartburn has been and continues to be an issue. I've never really had a problem with any heartburn before, so it took me a bit to figure out what it was. I'm eating Tums like the wintergreen delights that they are. Thankfully, they are helping.
My mouth and tongue feel raw, like I've burned them with hot coffee. Fizzy drinks, like the ginger ale I used to love, just burn now. Certain foods taste funny, but I'm still waiting for the metallic taste that's supposed to come...

Another disconcerting side effect: my scalp HURTS. It's tender and achy, like I've had my hair pulled tight in a bun for the last month and I just took it down. I've been worried about losing my hair since I got my official diagnosis. The first set of chemo drugs was a certain guaranteed baldness within 14 -17 days of the first treatment. Since my adjusted diagnosis, with the bone involvement, my drugs have changed, and now, I *might* lose my hair, or I *might* just lose enough of it to have bald spots, or I *might* lose just enough to have a relatively "normal" head of hair.
Unitl then, watch this space...