First off, I'm sorry no one blogged after chemo on Thursday. Here's how it went...
Our appointment was at 10 but of course we were there by 9:45. We had to see the PA, Susan, first. This was the first time I'd met her. We talked about my chemo drugs and she asked if I need any anxiety prescriptions. Seems some people get nervous just pulling into the parking lot for chemo. So far, I was fine. She started to examine me and must have forgotten that I had a double mastectomy because she started to man handle me! I jumped like I hadn't jumped in a LONG time! She felt so bad she hugged me when we were walking about of the examination room. :-)
Off to the main waiting room to wait for my name to be called. I think 45 minutes later I walked up to the receptionist and pulled the "I'm new card" just to make sure my name was in the queue. She assured me there was one patient ahead of me. 10 names later, it was my turn!
Jamey and I are following her through the door into the infusion room and it was a little surreal. Chairs lined up in two sections, each chair facing another. My nurse walks me straight to my infusion chair, sits me down and starts the process. She is very nice and is explaining the entire process to me, since it was my first time. She never left me once we sat down and looking back, I am very thankful. She never gave me a chance to get nervous. She asks if I would like her to spray this numbing spray on my port, I said yes... mistake number 1! That stuff hurt! She sprayed it FOREVER I'm surprised I don't have a blister. I'm going all naturale next time!
First we start with saline solution, then she hangs a little bag of anti-nauseau mixed with steroids. After that she injected the Adriamycin AKA the red devil. This took about 5-10 minutes and looked just like Hawaiian Punch. Oh, and makes your pee BRIGHT orange for about 2 days...
Next came the Cytoxin, this was a bag that she hung and it took an hour.
So far I'm feeling "normal" (normal here is defined as NOT having cancer). After she was done, I felt a little dizzy, not bad though.
They inform me that I need to drive all the way back to FW the next day to get a Newlasta shot. This shot will keep my white blood cell count from going too low. After they realized where we live, they set up the injection in the Granbury office.
I also need to have my blood drawn on day 6, 7 or 8 after chemo. They need to check and make sure my white blood cell count doesn't go too low, if it does, I'll need a Nupigen injection. Sound fun yet?
They gave us an order to have my blood drawn here at home so I don't have to drive to FW again. Of course on the Friday's I don't have chemo, I have appointments with the plastic surgeon, so I think we'll just go back to Texas Oncology and let them draw my labs.
Before releasing me on Thursday they took my temperature and I had 100.5, which could indicate an infection. Not for me, the excitement of chemo, the heated blanket, and sneezing for 3 days is what did it for me. They gave my Tylenol and sent us home. Told us if it goes to 101.0, to call back.
The drive home was uneventful. I had my vomit bag ready, but thankfully, didn't need it. When we got home I had a headache but that is normal for me. Thursday night was fine, even had homemade enchiladas (thank you Juanita!)
Friday morning was ok even though I still had the headache. Jamey took Morgan to school and then woke me up because we had to be in Granbury at 10 for that injection. The car ride was bad... I didn't throw up, but at times thought that if I would, I would feel much better! AND we had to sit in contruction traffic for 40 minutes, so we were late! ARGH!
We get to Granbury, they give me my Newlasta injection and then tell me the side effects are flu-like symptoms. GREAT! Off to home, in a different direction we went.
Saturday was bad. My head hurt and I didn't want to move. It hurt to hold my head up. I was taking a combination of Tylenol, prescription strength Motrin and once even took a Darvocet to help with the headache. The only thing I wanted to eat was potato soup, which I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Aunt Stacy came to take care of me. Kept me in a dark room with a cold rag on my head, and kept me medicated. Still no vomiting though :-)
Sunday I was better, still had a little headache but no where near Saturday's. Jamey grilled out and the smell didn't bother me, and I even had a few bites!
Today is Monday and I still have the headache, but it's back to work (from home) I go... with a nap later in my future of course!
Hope I filled in all the blanks and didn't leave anything out. It's hard to blog about something that happened last week! Oh, I turned 35! YAY! I will never complain about getting older again because every birthday is a blessing.
Love to all!
Christy
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