3rd treatment finished.....

Monday was chemo day. Chemo day means my time spent at the doctor's office is much longer than my shorter, Herceptin only, days. First, they draw blood. Actually, first they take my co-pay, and then they draw blood. Then, I wait to be called back to the exam room. Once in the exam room, the nurse registers my weight (oh boy!), takes my blood pressure and temperature. Then I get to dress in a paper vest and wait patiently for the doctor to appear. Why is it that paper makes one sweat much more than fabric does?

Monday, I met the new nurse practitioner. She is so new, she isn't even listed on their website yet. But, she was very nice and gentle and thorough. The doctor did seem pleased with the shrinkage she noted in the lymph node under my arm. It has actually decreased in size by about two-thirds since I began treatment. They were making such a fuss over this, I neglected entirely to ask about the original tumor. Must have been the fact that by this time, there were 4 people, plus myself in this very tiny exam room. I was beginning to feel claustrophobic by the time the whole thing was over.

The next step is to wait in the "chemo" waiting area, a sort of holding tank for those who are waiting on bloodwork or to be called for their time in the chair. Mondays are usually busy times there, and this Monday was no different. When I was called in to sit down to get my drugs, all of the chairs were filled up! It's about a 2 1/2 hour session, from start to finish on these days. Pre-meds come first; those are anti-nausea drugs to help work with other anti-nausea drugs to prevent....you guessed it.....NAUSEA! So far, I must admit, they have worked wonderfully, and I haven't experienced any of the nasty stuff. Then I get 2 Tylenol and a shot of Benedryl to help counteract the potential flu-like side effects of the Herceptin. Other than the Benedryl making me feel "fuzzy" and sleepy, I haven't had any reactions to the Herceptin. After all of those things are out of the way, one of the very nice nurses begins to give me the rest of the daily menu. It is up to me whether I choose to make small talk with the nurses and other patients around me, or drift off for a Benedryl induced cat nap. I admit to succumbing now and again, although I do also try to make conversation with anyone else who is awake.

Then, all of a sudden...well, 2 1/2 hours later.....it is over. I am unhooked from the IVs, I get a nice bandaid over the spot where they stuck my port, and I am free to leave. This Monday, I was chauffeured home by a special lady from our church. She lives not too far from the doctor's office and offered to transport me if the need arose. I was happy to get a chance to ride home with her and share a time of reflection. You see, her family lost their youngest son to cancer last fall. I so enjoy hearing her stories of Cameron and what a trooper he was during his treatments. While their story is a sad one indeed, Cameron was such a model patient. Thank you for sharing your heart with me, Suzie.

This week has progessed a lot like the last cycle did. I had a good amount of energy yesterday and a bit less today. If this time continues like the last, my energy will dip more towards the weekend. However, there is a bridal shower this weekend at church, so I need to rest up before then. I continue to rejoice that the Lord has spared me from the nasty side effects so many people experience. I also know that if my time comes to go through a harder chemo cycle, God will give me the grace to get through it. What a blessing to have that reassurance.

So, that's where I stand now. In three weeks, I will be finished with my first half of chemo treatments. I know I will have a another heart scan then, so they can make sure things are still ok there. There will then be only 4 more chemo cycles to go! It really doesn't seem so far away when looked at like this. Time always seems to fly by so quickly anyway. We will be far into the heat of Houston's summer by then....the land of never-ending air conditioning, which is another thing for which we thank God!

"Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted." ~Isaiah 49:13

posted by Kim @ 9:49 PM