I sign in and make my co-pay. Then the medical assistant calls me back. She gets my weight and vital signs. My weight is holding steady (I was hoping for a little more loss), my blood pressure is lower than usual but within normal range. It's not time to stop the blood pressure medication yet.
Next I see the doctor. We discuss side effects. She said we'll continue to watch the neuropathy closely still but so far, it's not a reason to reduce the dose of the medications. My new symptom of occasional postural hypotension my be related to the taxol and may just because my blood pressure is a little lower than usual. Again, we just watch it closely.
Here's an interesting tidbit. When we were planning all of this, we were told (and my girls heard it too, they will back me up on this) that I could not drive myself to chemo because one of the drugs contains alcohol. So, my wonderful mother-in-law brings me and picks me up every time. Today I forgot my book and when I mentioned it to the Dr. she asked if I wanted to go home and get it. I told her that I wasn't allowed to drive and this was news to her. Apparently it has to do with the taxol and benadryl together. Anyway, I still may have my mother-in-law bring me because I think she enjoys being helpful.
And...we're off. I go into the treatment room and choose a recliner near an outlet. There is a great one in the corner but I leave that for the woman who has the same treatment schedule I have. So, I take my usual one along the wall and wait for the nurse. The nurse starts the IV. She draws blood first for my regular labs and hangs fluids to keep the IV open while waiting for blood test results to confirm that I'm ok to have my chemo. The labs come back ok and we begin the process. First I get "pre meds" These are given to help prevent an allergic reaction, and nausea. One is IV push and the other 4 drip in over time. Bag #1 is empty so the nurse will need to come in and start bag #2.
There are two other women here for treatment so we struck up a conversation for a while. One is here for her treatment but is more concerned about her daughter who just had a double mastectomy and is awaiting results of the lymph node biopsy. How horrible it must be to be going through this herself and worrying about her daughter at the same time. Now I'm listening to my music, hanging out here on the computer and waiting.
The nurse started the other pre-meds.
I was busy elsewhere and missed telling you that the first poison (chemo drug) is going in. It takes about 3 hours. I think I am about one hour into it. So far, I've fired up my music, played on the internet, played a round of Ruzzle on my phone, checked out some CEU's for my KY nursing license, eaten my salami sandwich with an small bag of cheeze-its. Let me take this opportunity to say that cheeze-its are much better than cheeze nips! Now I think I'll watch a movie on the computer. As you can see, it's a pretty boring day here in chemoland.
I should have been putting times. I checked in at 8:25am for my 8:30appt and everything was on time. It's now 1:50pm and the nurse just hung the second poison. It'll take about 45 minutes to go in.
Here's what you missed. I checked out nurse CEUs for my license and started reading a course.I put a DVD in the computer and started watching a movie while I ate my salami sandwich (is it still a sandwich when you roll the meat in a flower tortilla?), and a dish of canned pears. I think I dozed off for a while because I had to re-wind the movie a little because I missed some. Are you jealous? Are you anxiously waiting to find out what comes next?
2:55 and the treatment is finished. My IV is out, my mother-in-law is on her way. I didn't finish the movie so I'll finish it at home.
So there you have it. My exciting chemotherapy day.
I was busy elsewhere and missed telling you that the first poison (chemo drug) is going in. It takes about 3 hours. I think I am about one hour into it. So far, I've fired up my music, played on the internet, played a round of Ruzzle on my phone, checked out some CEU's for my KY nursing license, eaten my salami sandwich with an small bag of cheeze-its. Let me take this opportunity to say that cheeze-its are much better than cheeze nips! Now I think I'll watch a movie on the computer. As you can see, it's a pretty boring day here in chemoland.
I should have been putting times. I checked in at 8:25am for my 8:30appt and everything was on time. It's now 1:50pm and the nurse just hung the second poison. It'll take about 45 minutes to go in.
Here's what you missed. I checked out nurse CEUs for my license and started reading a course.I put a DVD in the computer and started watching a movie while I ate my salami sandwich (is it still a sandwich when you roll the meat in a flower tortilla?), and a dish of canned pears. I think I dozed off for a while because I had to re-wind the movie a little because I missed some. Are you jealous? Are you anxiously waiting to find out what comes next?
2:55 and the treatment is finished. My IV is out, my mother-in-law is on her way. I didn't finish the movie so I'll finish it at home.
So there you have it. My exciting chemotherapy day.
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