Chemotherapy #1 - August 2, 2011

Chemo numero uno is finito.  (And that's the extent of my Spanish despite having taken it twice on college.)

My Sis, Olivia, and Conor went with me.  We got a thorough review of what was to take place, side effects of the medications, and so forth, from a PA named Jennifer.  She was great!  Everyone at the Cancer Center is. She did tell me that I may not get Taxol for 12 weeks at the end of my chemo, because there is a nationwide shortage of it.  Instead, if it is not available, I would get something called Taxotere.  I have mixed feelings about it.  Taxotere would only be every three weeks for four cycles whereas the Taxol would be every week for 12 weeks.  I want what the doc originally suggested, even if it's every week for 12 weeks.  I want the big guns to kill all of the cancer.  I'm going to research why there is a shortage and will post about it later.

Jennifer explained they consider chemotherapy a cycle of death, growth, and life. In this cycle, my white blood cell counts will be taken between days 10-14, which is the "nadir" and lowest point my immune system will be during the cycle.  I've been given a new thermometer and the biggest thing to watch for is infection.  Got it.  I'm scheduled to go in for lab work on August 12th and I will also get an echocardiogram that day to get a baseline of my heart.  Adriamycin can damage my heart.  One of the drugs can also cause leukemia later but I'm not concerned about that at the moment.  Just killing the current cancer cells inhabiting my body.

Then, my groupies and I moved to the chemo suite.  Saralee and Brooke were the oncology nurses today.  I explained that my port was placed in my chest yesterday and VERY tender.  Saralee sprayed a numbing spray on it and inserted a 1 inch needle into the port to start my IV's.  I would rate the pain as excruciating.  I locked on to my sister's eyes and used her energy to get through it, and a few prayers.  Olivia is petrified of needles and almost passed out herself.

Then I received Zofran, Dexamethazone, and Emend.  All anti-nausea meds.  I was given scripts for Zofran and Compazine to take at home.  Then, first chemotherapy drug, Adriamycin, was injected into my line.  It's nicknamed the "red devil" because it is BRIGHT red.  It's also highly toxic.  It will burn skin on contact so extra precautions must be taken with it.  Sarahlee put three syringes into my IV/Port.

Next, was the chemotherapy drug, Cytoxan, and it took about an hour to go through.  At one point I needed to go to the bathroom and Andrea/Sissy escorted me.  She didn't want to let me out of her site...so cute.  She whispered through the door and asked if my pee was red yet.  SO FUNNY!  We giggled like crazy.  It was too!  I let her in the room to view the reddish colored pee!  At the end of the session she was rubbing my leg and said I rock...and I said, "I'm more like a boulder!"  More major giggling.  SO great to be laughing even while getting chemo!

We left the cancer center around 12:45 pm. We got some groceries.  I wasn't quite sure what to shop for.  Jennifer said I should avoid all of my favorite foods because I will dislike them for the rest of my life after chemotherapy.  My sister and I talked about that...what in the world do you eat if you can't eat your favorite foods?!  Conor said, "liver and onions" when we talked about it on the way home.  UGH.  And double UGH.

Now, I'm just extremely tired.  The port area still hurts like crazy.  I can barely move my right arm.  Oh, I forgot to mention, when the surgeon said there were pockets of pus in the area where she put the "PowerPort."  She was perplexed by that and said we need to watch it closely for infection. Will do.

I tried to nap this afternoon, but couldn't.  I'm tired.  But I feel strange.  Maybe it's the anti-nausea medications.  I visualized the chemotherapy medications doing their work to eliminate the cancer cells.  Wocka, wocka, wocka!  My hands and feet are swelling tonight.  I don't remember this being a listed side effect.  Must look at my paperwork to see if it is a side effect - and elevate.

Just a few pics from my day below:

Adriamycin, AKA the red devil.

Sad face because the insertion of the needle into the port hurt so badly!

Beautiful flowers from Jackie and Peggy.  Thank you!

Here is our family last Christmas. What my hair used to look like.  Now I look like my husband!