The Chemotherapy Treatments Begin

I haven't posted anything on my blog for almost a week.  I need to get up to date, but before I do, I need to say something about my wonderful neighbors, and church members.  I think of myself as being pretty independent and self-reliant.  I can handle practically anything that comes along. Right?!  Well, then something like this happens, and I found out how much others help means.  On my birthday, after being gone all day, I opened my front door to let our cat in, and found it filled with birthday gifts and good wishes from my loving neighbors.  I could hardly believe it.  There was homemade chicken noodle soup from the Crowthers, and Shepherd's pie from the Jarvises. There was a beautiful Azeala from the Marstons, and a flowering planter from my brother.  Then I picked up the phone to see if we had any messages and there were a dozen messages from people in my neighborhood and church wishing me a happy birthday and hoping I'm doing well.  I have people checking in on me and calling me to tell me they're bringing over dinner, so don't fix anything.  I almost feel guilty, but I want everyone of them to know how very much this all means to me.  We don't live on an island, and when we can accept love and help from others, we enrich everybody's life.  Thank you!

Now on to my chemo experience.  My first treatment was on January 27th.  It was a long day.  I

started out by having a MUGAScan.  A MUGAscan, you ask?  I thought the same thing when they told me I needed one.  What the heck is a MUGAScan.  Well, it's probably one of the easiest tests I've had.  It's to test the heart's function, to make sure it's working okay, since I guess chemo can be hard on it.  Anyway, they put in an IV (another d-- IV) with some kind of isotops, then they watch it go through the artery system.  I just had to lie there, and I even fell asleep a couple of times.  That lasted almost an hour and a half.  Then I had an appointment with the surgeon, who decided to take the drain out that still was in after over a month.  The dumb thing just wouldn't quit draining.  Of course I was scared to death of that.  I kept saying, "but I haven't psyched myself up for this."  They did it anyway, and I didn't feel a thing.  I'm such a chicken.  I also got another shot of saline in my expander while there, then it was on to the 

Oncologist.  

I was as nervous as a tick, and they knew it.  My heart rate was above a hundred and my blood pressure was on the high side.  Dr. Ward told me he'd think there was something wrong if I wasn't nervous.  They talked me through the procedure and calmed me down somewhat, then sent the orders to the Infusion Room.  Pat and I walked the long walk there, and I checked in. They told me it would be awhile, so if we wanted to get some lunch we could.  It was about 1pm then and my appointment for the infusion was 1:30pm.  We ate lunch at the Point, a very nice restaurant on the top floor of the Huntsman that is surrounded by windows and has a beautiful view of the Salt Lake valley.  We then returned to the Infusion area and waited, and waited. Finally, at nearly 3pm, they called me in.  I found out the holdup had been that they were waiting for the MUGAScan results.  Once they got those, they could proceed.  That's one thing I really appreciate about being at the Huntsman.  Everyone is on the same page and they make sure things are done right, and I just have to be there.  

The Infusion Room is pretty intimidating.  It's a very long room with a long nurses station in the middle.  There are recliner chairs placed around the room (probably eighteen to twenty), and each of these has a chair next to it for someone to sit with you.  My Paddy, of course, is my someone.  There is  a portable IV station at each chair and there is even an individual TV on a retractable arm for each chair.  I was given a recliner to sit in, and immediately noticed that every chair was filled.  That was pretty humbling.  I'm definitely not alone in this battle. 

The nurse I was assigned to came over and talked to me for awhile and let me know how everything was going to go.   I had a Power Port placed in my chest the Friday before all of this began.  This was done so  I wouldn't have to have any more IV's done in my arm. This is another thing I learned after having my mastectomy.  I can't have any blood pressures or IV's done on my right arm anymore, because it can cause lymphedema.  That limits everything to my left arm, and like my daughter, Amy, told me, the veins in cancer patients get to the point after awhile where they're like strings, and they're hard and extremly difficult to access.  The thought of being poked and proded for four months was enough to make me have no second thoughts about having a port.  Anyway, back to the chemo treatment.  It took two nurses and three tries to access the port, because it was still swollen and tender from the surgery.  Not Fun!!  But, once it was accessed, everything went like clock work.  I read, listened to my IPod, took a nap, and before I knew it, the treatment was over and we were on our way home.  It took nearly three hours, but I got through it, and didn't feel much worse for the wear.

The first thing I did when I got home, was take one of the anti-nausea pills they had perscribed. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent nausea.  One of my visiting-teachers from church, Ardeth Kapp, brought us dinner, and I even felt like eating it.  I went to bed and had no problems.  I kept up with the anti-nausea pills for the next four days, and didn't have any trouble with it at all.  Thank goodness.  My daughter, Amy, the nurse, gave me a Neulasta shot the day after the chemo.  This is supposed to help boost my white blood count, so it won't drop so far with the chemo, then I can have the chemo every two weeks instead of every three, thus shortening the amount of time spent on it.  The side effect, bone aches and pains.  These didn't show up till the next day when I was in the shower.  I was washing my hair and suddenly, my arms felt like lead weights and I could hardly move.  I had to sit down for a few minutes just to finish and get out.  Wow!  The only other problem I had during the time following my first treatment was a rapid heart beat with a cough.  This scared me, because I thought it was my heart, itself, but after another visit to the doctor and several tests, it was determined I was having an asthma reaction to the gunky inversion we were having in our area.  They put me on Advair, and it seems to have corrected it.  There's just way too much to think about.  I think I'll go read my book and zone out.