________________________________
Before every chemo treatment there's blood work required to be sure I can handle the treatment. I asked at the sign-in yesterday when I got my blood test what time I'd be done today and after consulting the notebook I was told about 4 pm.
I arrive a few minutes early for a 11:30 appointment, pay the out of pocket and am back sitting in the waiting room by 11:30 for my appointment. Occasionally a nurse calls someone into the lab room or another nurse calls someone into the Infusion room. Finally after 45+ min they take me through the mystery door and take my vitals in a bland infusion room with a curtain separating my room ("Peace") from other rooms (more cubicles). The rooms have a recliner and a chair and a small TV and not much more other than medical stuff. Blood pressure a little high again today. No stress LOL! But it's back to sitting and waiting again, this time on the east side of THE DOOR. Random beeps start up all around me set nurses scuttling to silence them. I later learn that every time an IV ends the machine beeps.
I've learned not to trust what I'm told, so I asked the nurse who put in my IV what time I'd be done and she said 4 or 430 but it could run longer depending on my body. The IV
went in at 1 and there were 5 pre-drugs and a saline flush that took over an
hour and a half. Then and only then I learned that the two chemo drugs are
planned for 3.5 hours. Everyone was way
optimistic on my treatment time (or couldn't add) and that was BEFORE I reacted to the first
chemo drug and needed an extra 40 minutes IV time. There I was, sitting in the recliner, the first chemo drug just started when I began
feeling very flush and HOT. They stopped
the IV and gave me more Benadryl, some steroids and Pepcid. They said I turned bright red! I believe them. What a hot flash! LOL
Then it was back to the cancer fighting drugs and I did fine on the three hour IV, no reaction this time. Yay for poisons as long as they work! The second chemo drug was set running too slow at first (this found at 720 PM) so I finally got out of there at 8 PM. My very good friends Rick and May Snider were in the parking lot, waiting to drive me and my car home SO MUCH LATER than we all thought. True friends! I can't thank them both enough for their support, whether long hours at Estero drinking coffee or just visiting, or rides home from the few treatments that require it.
So tonight I am tired, definitely mentally more than physically. I feel fine, on an even keel emotionally and doing fine thanks to the anti-emetics/anti-nausea drugs in the pre-treatment IVs. If I could take those on a pelagic and sell them to the people seasick on the way out I'd make a fortune!
Out, damn spot! I want to defeat these alien puppies breeding inside of me. Hoping for good shrinkage on the troublesome one.
Update from the next morning. I slept well and feel fine. May all treatments have so little impact on me thanks to the power of pharmaceuticals. I hope the tumors are cringing. Fingers crossed. I took it easy but started getting stir crazy at noon so I went down to Bentsen to watch hummers. No luck on the Calliope, but it was good to get out for a couple hours. Still feeling good as bed time nears.
Update from the next morning. I slept well and feel fine. May all treatments have so little impact on me thanks to the power of pharmaceuticals. I hope the tumors are cringing. Fingers crossed. I took it easy but started getting stir crazy at noon so I went down to Bentsen to watch hummers. No luck on the Calliope, but it was good to get out for a couple hours. Still feeling good as bed time nears.
