One down - three to go

Wednesday was my first chemo treatment...a day of many firsts. It was a loooong day too.

10:45am arrive at lab for blood withdraw and to have my port accessed. For those of you not in the know, I have what is called a Port-A-Cath. It is an implanted venous access device placed completely under the skin below my collar bone with the catheter of the port sitting inside a large central vein just above my heart. So cyborg. But it does make things easier. I have a special numbing cream that I put on my skin above the port about an hour before and when she stuck the needle in, I hardly felt it. Then then can do blood draws and feed me all the poison medicine through my port. Dummies still drew blood from my arm...oh, you have a port? Sorry.

Next we met with Dr. Kaplan who basically gave me a pep-talk and told me everything was going to be fine...I was going to be fine. Talked about the drugs that I would be getting, drugs I would need to take at home.

Finally down to the treatment center to get all plugged in and ready to go!

This was my view. I was surrounded on all sides with people, just a curtain partition between us. There was a tv on the ceiling (yes on the ceiling - I will have to remember to take a picture of that next time). Lots of nurses working in a team. First I was given Benadryl and a Pepcid orally and some Ativan to call my nerves. Next they hooked me into the big machine!

First they give you a bunch of anti-nausea meds and steroids: Decadron, Emend, Aloxi. And then the big guns start!

Cytoxan and Taxotere.

This all takes a very long time. I think I was there for at least 4 hours. But it wasn't unpleasant and my spirits were up.

I got a free foot massage as well! Some guy named Wesley who is a massage therapist on another floor comes around when he doesn't have any patients and gives free hand and foot massages. It was great but it was way more entertaining to hear him give one to the little old man that was behind a curtain next to me. He was so excited and thankful - it was way too cute!

I came home feeling good and with an appetite. I ate dinner, did normal stuff and went to bed. The next day I had to go in for my Neulasta shot which stimulates the growth of white blood cells. It was a shot in the STOMACH!! Yuk yuk yuk. And it kind of hurt! I think I was still a bit on a steroid high but then totally crashed around noon. I slept from about 1:00-5:00pm and I had the best snuggle buddy ever!

I've been eating little bits, taking my anti-nausea meds and trying to stay ahead of the game. I'm tired. Like really, really, really tired. I don't feel great but I don't feel horrible either. A little bit of an upset tummy and kinda achy. I'll live.

Sorry if this post is a little all over the place - that ativan makes my head a little wonky! And I'm tired and I'm about to go take yet another nap. As always, thank you everybody for your heart felt well wishes and thoughts of encouragement and love!! Gives me such power and strength to have you all behind me. A special thank you to my husband; I love you so much, thank you for taking such good care of me and Ryder. You're my rock.

Round two on December 19th!