I Survived Number Five!!!

Yesterday was chemo treatment #5 and the start to the new chemo drugs. I'm extremely happy to report that it went well and now I only have three chemo treatments left!!

With having had the flu last week, my chemo treatment schedule got changed up and Matt's schedule was jammed for this week...so my good friend Kim joined me on my trip to the GRRCC yesterday. Kim and I have been friends since we were 11...I figure she's seen me at my best and my worst for the past 30 some odd years...surely it would be good to add a little chemo to the memories!!

I did do fitness before chemo yesterday, thinking a little extra oxygen running through my veins would be a good thing...well, it wouldn't hurt anyway.

We had teachings with the pharmacist first where she explained the new chemo drugs (as well as the drugs they give you to help your body accept the chemo) and the possible side effects that could happen (both during the administration of the drugs and after I got home). The side effects don't happen to everyone, in fact, some people have no side effects at all. Kim & I took some notes and they gave us a handout and off we went to the chemo suite to get hooked up.

I am happy to say my wonderful nurse yesterday (and I did have a great nurse yesterday) found a vein with no problem!! Yippee!! She hooked me up with the pre-chemo drugs (benadryl and a steroid of some kind), we waited about half an hour after these drugs were administered for them to get into my system and than we were off to the races with the Taxol (that's the chemo drug).

We got about 7 cc's into me (of 500) when I started to react. They had told us a reaction would come on fast, so to make sure we let the nurse know as soon as I felt anything strange. So I said to Kim, "I think I feel something funny" and off Kim went to get my nurse...who was just turning to come back to me. Suddenly I felt this tightness on my chest and was having a little trouble breathing (it felt like a box on my chest)...and than I had this huge flush of heat, and I mean serious heat. I thought my ears were on serious fire. The nurse quickly shut off the chemo drug and threw me on oxygen. That helped a ton!! They gave me Ativan (a pill under my tongue) and Hydrocortisone via my IV (for the allergic reaction). We waited half an hour for the Ativan and Hydrocortisone to take effect and than started the Taxol (the chemo drug) again but much much slower this time (at 25% of the original rate). Then every five minutes she increased the rate by 25% until I was at 100% and doing ok with no reactions at all. No trouble after that and I felt fine. I slept quite a bit (which was a great way for me to pass the time)! Kim enjoyed my People magazines and watching the characters/people who were hanging out in the courtyard outside the hospital - it's great to have a spot by the window!! It was a long day - we had the pharmacy teachings around 11:30 and it was after 6:00 when Kim brought me home.

Today I feel pretty good. I'm tired and I have a little bit of irritation where the IV was yesterday...but that's really it! I'm looking forward to several naps today!!

The side effects I'm watching out for now are numbness/tingling in my fingers and toes, joint and muscle pain, loose bowels...and yes, more hair loss!! They also have warned me that my finger nails may turn an orangey colour, get brittle or bumpy and may even fall off. So far I'm good on all fronts...and the pharmacist gave me a kit to take care of my nails yesterday so I'll be diligent with that for sure!!

Big thanks to Kimmy...it was awesome to have you with me yesterday. Thanks for keeping me company and being so patient with the long day! And for keeping me calm and laughing with me when I reacted to the darn drugs!!

Thanks to all of you out there for the positive energy you sent my way yesterday. I know many of you were thinking of me yesterday afternoon with fingers crossed that everything went well...and it did!! I thank you for being with me in spirit!!!

xoxooxoxxoox