One Down - Seven to Go

First chemo treatment is over.  Ken, Patty and I got to the cancer center about 10:40.  Did the preliminaries, i.e., blood work, vital signs, and accessing the port.  Apparently my earlier information that Monday was their least busy day was all relative.  They were packed with people getting chemo today.  We had to wait out in the waiting room for over an hour, I think, before I was called back a little after 12:00 to get started.  Ken went back with me.  The preliminary meds were started:  saline drip, Decadron (steroid), then a drug called Emend (anti-nausea drug).  We had our "teaching" session with one of the nurses.  Because they were so busy today, I could only have one person back there at a time and only for a few minutes.  After our instructions were given, Ken left and Patty came in for a couple of minutes.  But by this time it was getting close to 1:00, and Patty needed to leave to take Mama to the dentist. 

The chemo drugs started around 1:30, I guess.  The first one, Epirubicin, was not a drip; it was slowly pushed into the IV by one of the nurses.  It's red colored and, you guessed it, changes the color of your urine for a couple of days!!!  First time I looked in the toilet bowl, it was orange!!!  Funny.  Sorry, too much info, I'm sure.  I'm supposed to drink lots of fluids today and tomorrow to flush that stuff out.  It is the drug that will make my hair fall out sometime in the next two weeks -- before my next visit, I'm sure.

The second drug, Cytoxan, was IV dripped and took about 45 minutes.  Only thing I felt during the treatment was a little tingling in my forehead, which they said was normal. 

I was through a little after 2:30.  Teresa and I went to the DQ and got blizzards.  Cindy J. gave me one piece of advice:  Eat something after chemo that you normally have a weakness for because after eating it close to treatments, you will not want to eat that food for a very long time.  So, maybe eating ice cream on treatment days will break my addiction to that cold stuff.

Of course, right now, between the steroid drip and the ice cream, I probably have sky high blood sugar.  Might have to go for the sugar free ice cream after this treatment.  LOL

Only bad thing today was being told that I should not get in the pool at the Y for another week (because of possible infection, I guess).   GRHHHH   I need to exercise, and I really don't want to do the treadmill or bike, but I may have to break down and do them.

Well, that's all for now.  My eyes are crossing as I type.  (Just kidding!).

Against my better judgment, I'm posting a picture Teresa took of me in the chair.  Next treatment I will be bald with a chemo cap on, I'm sure!!!

Rachel