Just another ordinary day for most. The doctors have done this before, so have the nurses. But, this is going to be all new for me.
I have a bag packed, filled of things to keep me amused for the next 5 to 6 hours. I may even try to blog during all this craziness. A good friend, Jessica, dropped off a chemo survival kit.
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| Breast Cancer Warriors |
Now, ask me what I used....
1. Zebra Blanket-- so cozy
2. Ipad - but my ear buds were busted!!! No sound!! Luckily, Katie (a Foobie Friend) came to the rescue with a new pair for me! As well as a pretty blanket (also cozy) and a new pretty water bottle.
3. Water cup
4. Snacks
5. Lotion
6. Gum
I did wear some special items, my Lokai bracelet (thanks Susan), a new Survivor bracelet (made with handmade clay beads (thanks Nicole), and a new Survivor charm on my necklace engraved with the initials CJ and CC (thanks Holly). I was prepared.
No lying, I was a hint nervous on the drive. I hate walking into the unknown. Luckily, I had my handsome fellow with me. Jeff's job was carrying in my bag full of stuff. We were both nervous. All I kept flashing back to was a horrible vomiting scene in the 1991 movie, Dying Young. That left an impression demonstrating the hell that chemo was in the 90s. It's 25 years later, so thing have to be better, right?
Right off the bat, I was a BAD patient. I was supposed to pre-dose with a steroid medication. I forgot. Whoops. OK...
We entered the Chemo Suite, I was in chair 16. Not the best location, it was on a corner and people kept accidentally knocking into me. Whoops. The first step is baseline blood work. I was golden, good platelets, good white blood cells, good hemoglobin! Go me! Then bag #1 started.
Bag 1 - Pre-drugs. Mostly stuff to keep me from getting nauseated. I also, had a pill to take at this point as well. Bag 1 is the fast bag--- 15 minutes to go in!!!
Bag 2- Taxotere. This was the bag that made people nervous, because no one knew if I would have an allergic reaction. Luckily I did not. This guy took almost 2 hours.
Bag 3- Carboplatin. This bag also took over an hour.
Bag 4 - Herceptin. This bag took one hour and forty minutes.
After Bag 4, they removed my needles and I was DONE. I made it! I had a couple visitors come in for little chunks of time. Jeff, my friend Katie H, and Jayne (Jeff's Mom, who I forgot to get a selfie with) swung by. It was super nice, but I also had time to pray and watch a little Sons of Anarchy. A perfect balance. And no one just sat and stared at me. That is what I did not want, people looking at me, weepy like "woe-is-Kim." No negative Nellies invited.
I was able to obtain a flu shot and my schedule for the rest of the year. Before Jan 1, I will have 4 treatments COMPLETE.
In a nut shell this is how chemo land works this week.
Oct. 29 Chemo Day
Oct. 30 at 3:20 pm Shot to stimulate white blood cell growth (at least I think that is what it is doing)
Nov.5, Blood work CBCD
Chemo is every 21 days, the "booster" shot is always the day after chemo, then the week after is blood work. After the blood work, I have 7 days before my next chemo. Got it? Head spinning? Mine is.
I am a normal person with a normal job; let's look at this. Starting today, I will have to visit that office at LEAST 12 times before 2016. That is essentially 2 weeks of vacation time I get to use. Our government will allow me to use my FMLA time, yet that is UNPAID, and I am not as independently wealthy as I'd like to be. I am see the big business of cancer. As a health care consumer, the time I need support, there is little out there for a professional to receive proper treatment without wasting vacation time. Vacation is going to the beach, or a staycation. Not sitting in a chair for 5 hours while a machine pumps toxins into me. Just makes me wonder why and how this has never been really properly addressed. Yes, FLMA keeps my job. But, I feel as if short term disability needs to have a few "chemo days" that can be utilized. In order for me to qualify for short term, I had to waste 5 vacation days. I will stop short term disability soon, if I need another chunk of time off, I have to waste those 5 vacation days again. To quote my Gramma, it's horseshit.
In a final note, they removed Lucifer's needle. Oh sweet Jesus, it feels so much better!!! Lucy and I shall be friends!!
Here is Lucifer with her giant dressing, and you can see my scars healing. This was before the needle was removed giving easy access. As for the implants, that is a 400cc implant. We still have some tweaking to do, but first I have to finish healing and finish chemo. Then we tweak the new Foobies.
Finally, against medical advise, (lol) Jeff and I have begun our special count down. I figure even of I take a SIP out of it, it still counts.... (alcohol is contraindicated during chemo, as are some foods I like, I'm kind of back on the list of food to eat while pregnant).
Sorry, Breast Cancer and chemo, we are doing this shit our way. Cheers!!!
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