My Appointment was at 9 AM. First they gave us a little tour. For the seasoned recipients, there are a few big chairs for administering the chemo out in the open by some windows overlooking the river. They also have many little rooms with hospital beds and since it was my first time and they had lots of information to go over, I got one of those rooms. There are two places that you can get juice, water and cookies and they have a big oven for warming blankets that you can help yourself to. Whoever came up with heating those blankets is a genius. They are the best thing ever!
I had a nice pretty young nurse named Erika. She let me ask questions then went over some history and exactly what was going to happen today. Then she let me ask more questions. First she flushed my lines with saline and then I got a little pouch of anti nausea drugs. She flushed the lines again and started with the first chemo drug. That one took about 5 minutes. Since none of these drugs can touch each other, she flushed me again and put through the next drug. This one is bright red and it makes you pee red for a couple of days. This one took 10 minutes. I got really hungry in there so Murray went to get me some of those cookies and juice. Also somewhere in there the Pharmacist came to talk to me and gave me all the drugs I have to take for the next week or so. Then the nurse did another flush and the last drug which took about 30 minutes. I slept through most of that one because by now the anti-nausea drugs were kicking in. Another flush and I was free to go. I went to the bathroom and red stuff was already coming through!
I felt really good and it was lunch time so we stopped and had lunch on the way home. The nurse said I would probably feel the same as I always do until next week when the white cell counts go down. Well she couldn’t have been more wrong. As the afternoon wore on and the drugs started wearing off I was feeling worse and worse. On the way through Tisdale Murray suggested stopping for donuts and my stomach did a flip flop. Even the thought of having them in the van to smell was more than I could bear. By supper time I was really bad (no vomiting but just really bad nausea). I knew I had to eat or drink something so I took my pills. I had some minestrone in the fridge but I took one look at that and it was just too chunky so I had about a cup of chicken noodle soup. I felt great for about 20 minutes and then it was back. I lay around and watched some American Idol. I had to look away if they were moving too fast. I couldn’t wait for 10 o clock when I could take the other pills and go to bed. I had one really good one that helped a lot.
Today I am still not great but a lot better than yesterday. I have been able to have some toast, more soup, a pear, crackers and some juice, I have yet more new pills to take today so maybe that is what is helping. One of them is supposed to give me rosy cheeks but my face is red from under my eyes right down to my chest.
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3 comments:
Aw man. That does sound pretty bad, Mom. It sounds like you've got a lot of drugs to keep track of. Hopefully you'll be able to eat more soon and I won't be picking up any bugs when you come into the city so I can see you!
Hang in there. I love you.
I was thinking about you all day yesterday and was surprised to see you had something on your blog today. Didnt think we'd hear anything for a few days. Sounds like it was a long day for you, girl. Hope the drugs help you. Hang in there and know your friends are here for you. Love ya lots. I agree, those warming ovens for blankets should be a must in every home. Could use one now...lol.
Been thinking about you a lot, I guess you will just have to take it all 'one day at a time', wish I could be there to give you a hug. Yay to the 'warm blankets' I forgot about those, they gave me a couple after my ear surgery. Hang in there - love is obviously coming your way from lots of friends, and family, including all of us in Ktown! Hugs - M.
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