Needles and Meds and More - Oh My!

Flicker on top of a Socorro cactus. Aho, Arizona

June 16: Went for follow up on port placement. The PA said it looked good and is ready for first chemo treatment Friday. The tunneled chest port is located about two inches below the clavicle on the left. The catheter is just under the skin going up and into the jugular vein, then down toward the heart, stopping at the superior vena cava. Yikes.

June 18: Went to a local wig shop yesterday. The lovely Asian woman, Esther, that assisted me was an angel. I explained what I was looking to get and she delivered! She quickly grabbed three wigs; two of which were the same but different colors. The one I purchased is almost exactly my bio hair color - yay! Also, close to my usual cut and style. But this will be a lot easier to style and maintain. Winning! After I checked out, Esther asked if I believed in Jesus. Why yes, I do....and I'm trying to better follow his example of how to live and love. I'm a work in progress folks! But aren't we all? Which is why it is so important to give each other grace, understanding, and love - lots of love!

June 19: Woke up at 2:30ish and couldn't get back to sleep. My guess is that it's a combination of the dexamethasone I started yesterday, and apprehension about the first treatment today. I'm taking my support animal Larry with me. If he were an animal, he would be a dog because he loves them. He would be a mix - Dandie Dinmont Terrier (calm and reserved), English Bulldog (solid, challenging and head strong), and Border Collie (affectionate and loyal). That's my dog....I mean my man.

Ok, it's 5 am June 20. Been up since 1:30 - thank you, Dexamehasone. So, here's what transpired at the first five hour chemo treatment day yesterday:

1. Pretreatment labs done. Necessary prior to each tx mainly to check white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, liver and kidney function; plus some other things. Infusion meds are adjusted according to lab results.

2. Height and weight as infusion meds are also prepared just prior to tx based on weight and labs.

3. Placed in a large mostly comfy chair with big windows looking out toward the mountain range. The young nurse is a sweetie. Two anti nausea meds are given via IV, then half hour wait to see if any negative or allergic reactions. These are on board until about three days after tx. Then the first two of four tx meds are given via an injection vs IV drip which takes five minutes instead of one and half hours. I like that but there is trade off! It's a large syringe with a lot of thick fluid and a large needle so it can pass through. These meds target the specific hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone) in the breast cancer cells. The injection is given on the side of the thigh in the fatty tissue. She does several pushes over the five minutes. Oh mama, the first few hurt a lot! Half hour wait in case of a reaction. They initially do the different meds separately and wait in case there is a reaction, they know what caused it.

4. Next is the two chemo meds, Taxotere and Carboplatin, given individually. Each takes about an hour. Ice packs are placed on my feet and hands prior to the Taxotere to hopefully prevent or lesson neuropathy that it commonly causes. The nurse dons a protective gown before handing each bag in case of leaks; very toxic...very intimidating. Amazing what our veins and arteries can handle. But our incredible body has its limits.
   

Side note: During these infusions, a young man to my right had a reaction to the infusion he was getting (I think someone said an antibiotic). He suddenly started having a mild seizure, passed out and started vomiting. In seconds, he was surrounded by several staff members. He came around after a bit, then was taken to the ER. Oh my gosh, poor guy! I felt so sorry for him (brings tears to my eyes right now). And I'm not gonna lie, it scared me for a second as I thought, that could be me.

5. Last but certainly not least....a device is placed on the back of an arm or abdomen. I'm a side sleeper so chose the tummy. It's secured and several seconds later, a needle goes thru the skin (made me jump a little) and leaves behind a tiny catheter. Twenty eight hours later, it releases Neulasta over 45 minutes. This med promotes white blood cell growth as they are depleted with tx which compromises the immune system. I also chose the stomach when the nurse said a green light will flash every so many seconds indicating it's working. Thought best to keep in under covers. Well...here's a funny! When I got into the dark bedroom to sleep and the green light flashed, I thought it looked just like a firefly, which I love! When we were kids, there were so many in Grammy's yard. She lived in the country with a lot of trees. I showed it Larry when he came to bed, and he said, "it looks like a firefly" (I didn't tell him my thought). Hahaha - that tickled me!

The nurse and the nurse navigator (who came while I was doing treatment) went over all the possible sides with each medication. There are a lot!! Some can be quite serious. Many, probably most, will happen to some degree. Breathe, pray. Starting to have a few already (mild chest pain and diarrhea); too soon! Was told they will start to kick in more 3-4 days after first tx. Then there's an accumulative effect with worsening symptoms with subsequent treatments. This is some bullsh*t!! They oncologist will however make adjustments as needed in an attempt to mitigate symptoms. Probably best not to kill the patient with meds while eradicating the cancer.

I will cover the laundry list of possible side effects next weekend, and let you know how I'm fairing. That will be an entire blog. My life has gotten so very interesting!

But some sock are good right? Especially if they are warm and soft, and your feet are always cold.

Tata for now. Don't worry, be happy.