...And Chemo....

Hi, I bet you are all wondering how I am going to find the humor in chemo...well...On Wednesday I started taking Decadron (one in the am with breakfast and one with dinner). There are alot of support meds to help the side effects - cardiac, GI, white counts,etc. I have to say that I didn't get much sleep Wednesday night. But by Thursday morning I just wanted to get the show on the road and the first treatment behind me. I've sat and talked with many, many people while they were going through chemo but that didn't help me in knowing what my personal experience would be like (and there are too many variables...no two treatments are the same)

We arrived at Frankford-Torresdale on time (9:15am) and I was taken back right away. I was weighed-in - ugh, worst part of the whole day - and then the lab tech asked me which arm she could draw blood from. I told her, "Neither, I have a POWER PORT." Duly impressed she sent me into the chemo room to have one of the nurses draw the blood and start the treatment. The chemo room consists of about 25 lounge chairs that were filled constantly with a variety of patients - some treatments take longer than others - but once someone left their chair wasn't empty for long. Since Col and I must have had that "deer in the headlights look in our eyes" I was immediately pegged as a new-bee. This meant that a funny, irreverant, caring nurse named Dan came over and told me that his name was 'Dave'. He quickly moved on to more helpful hints like which lounge chairs didn't go all the way back, how to minimize side effects, and that Thursdays are soft pretzel days. All of the staff and volunteers were kind and compassionate, but I had the most contact with Dan and Lynn who were also funny and had a way of putting me at ease. I was most concerned with what it would be like to access the port and if I would feel any pain throughout the process. I got honest answers and the whole day went much more smoothly than I had expected.

Dan drew some blood from my port and I was so relieved. Then Susan was able to slip away from her patients so that we all could meet with Dr. Kennedy first. After that I was hooked up to the chemo and given a cozy blanket. I was given decadron, emend, benedryl, taxotere, adriamyacin, and cytoxin. The adriamyacin was red and had to be "pushed" but the others just infused uneventfully I am thankful to say. They have to tell you what "might" happen and I have to say that that is always a bit unnerving.

The rest of the time was an adventure in people watching. We were there for 6 hours from start to finish (it will be slightly less in the future because I won't always have an appointment first and the initial teaching is out of the way). We were sitting in a little alcove area that I liked for many reasons - a little more privacy, and the TV was not on. We were visited periodically by volunteers bringing around trays of goodies (not what I expected for this group...) and occasionally the volunteers would take a break and sit in our alcove to talk about themselves and/or their pets. We also had the pleasure of chatting with another patient who "came to visit me" (He was done with his treatment but not with his snacking...). For the sake of confidentiality, "Ralph" (not his real name), is an 83 year old Frenchman who likes to write his age out in Roman Numerals - LXXXIII - because it seems more "majestic" and "olympian". He calls himself a "lifer" and has so many stories that you wish you had a recorder. Even my benedryl induced stupor didn't slow him down. He has recently given up driving because he can "only see out of one eye - and not well at that". He had been driving by following the tail lights of other cars and realized that it could present a problem if someone's tail light was out...I am sure I will see him again.

I am trying to be compliant, flooding myself with fluids, and "grazing" instead of eating regular meals. My first night was ok and I slept well. Friday morning it was back to Torresdale for a Neulasta shot. The staff recognized me and asked me how my first night had been. They could not have been nicer or more comforting. On Wednesday I will see Dr. Kennedy for a follow up visit since this was my first chemo, then I will follow up with her about 2 weeks after treatment as a rule. On Friday and Saturday I will continue to take oral Emend and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will continue to take oral decadron. Who knows what Monday will bring. The Emend is to try to prevent nausea and vomiting but it doesn't work if it has already started so I have 3 other meds in my arsenal just in case...

All in all, better than expected...so far...I am grateful for that. Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers. And thank you for all of the gifts and comfort items - from the books to the softest socks in the world - I am loving all of them. Sue Sipos, that "bag of goodies" is really coming in handy about now so thank you so much for that. Anyway, one down and 5 to go....I'll keep you posted (get it?)...