Chemo Journal-Treatment Day 1

September 12-Treatment Day 1

I’ve been sluggish all day.  Feel kinda like my heads in a cloud.  (Like MC on a typical day.)  No nausea!  And am even more thrilled that I have chosen to work with the staff at SCOA.  If I wasn’t convinced until today, I am S.O.L.D.  Hands-down, the best place to be (under these circumstances, that is.)  First thing this morning, I was met by a familiar face who has known me since I was McCanless’s age.  (Remember, Cyndi, my kindergarten BFF?)  Cyndi’s dad walked up, dressed to the nines in his bright pink shirt with a smile that could melt the room.  So cheerful and happy.  A cancer survivor who volunteers his time each Monday along with so many other happy volunteers and nurses.  This place is kickin’  Even the music was great!  I’m a lucky girl!

On my throne at SCOA

By the way, I’m totally a sunlight girl and have bribed everyone here to reserve me a chair on the wall of windows overlooking the brook and bird feeders.  (If I do ever wake up during these things, I at least want to see outside.)

My view today, peeking over my fabulous new quilt.

Guy on my right was hilarious for the first 10 minutes, before he conked out.  Girl in the middle came in asleep and stayed that way, and girl on my far left ate Sour Patch Kids, and kept laughing and rolling her eyes at the guy on the end.  It was all very funny and surreal.  Once I realized I was the only one up, Nurse Crazy Fun, came up and shot with me with extra Benadryl-ish stuff.  I swear I asked her if it was Roofies.  I was out cold in 10 seconds and remember NOT A THING.  Mel swears I ate 8 chicken nuggets from Chick Fil A.  I beg to differ.

I digress…I’m going to pull a C-card and say that I’m already in chemo brain mode.  (I know it’s probably WAY too early to pull that out, but I’ll try it out to see how it feels.)  I know I’m a bit scattered, but here is how the day went…

Mel and I arrived at SCOA around 9:30, after I ate a fruit and yogurt parfait, we checked in, paid co-pay, I had blood draws (again super easy and painless), waited to make sure I was a go and by 10:30, I was getting my port accessed.  I was a bit nervous about that, but it turns out, our two chemo nurses LOVE to make everyone comfortable, all the time.  She squirted my port area with a  biofreeze-type cold spray, and before I knew it, I was being pumped up with my cocktail du jour.  She gave me something to make me groggy, which she thought would make me sleep.  When that didn’t work, she knocked me out cold with a super duper Benedryl  (Note to self:  MUST find this stuff for my girls.)  Within 10 seconds of her socking it to me, I was out.  Cold.  Until 4:30. Honestly I was the ONLY one in the room when I woke up.  Last man standing, or sleeping, I guess.

Mel resumed his post on his mac and I slept.  No thank you notes written, no new kindle books read.  No phone conversations for me.  We left and I was hungry, so we stopped by Krispy Kreme and I ate THREE chocolate donuts.  THREE.  No appetite loss here, girls.

It’s 11 pm and I’m tired and groggy but its been a great evening.  Earlier, McCanless came over to visit, before heading over to my moms, and Mel and I had to go out to get my arsenal of drugs from CVS, so we stopped my his mom’s to see Clare.  She was doing fantastic.  Both girls are certainly not lacking attention at this point.

Here’s what I was told to expect:  After Mel administers my Neulasta shot tomorrow morning, I’ll need to take  Claritin.  (Number 1:  I’m super thrilled about Mel giving me a shot.  Should be fun.  Number 2:  I have NO idea what Claritin has to do anything with the pain from this shot- I think I’ll do a little research tonight.)  Apparently, I’ll have soreness and aches and joint pain (Flu-like symptoms) for a few days after my shot.  (Neulasta is a white cell booster-it gets them going to help fight infection, as you understand chemo kills everything in it’s path apparently, and I really need to keep those white ones around!)  I also have two oral meds for nausea, one makes me sleep, the other can keep me awake.  Once I get over the flu-like symptoms, my nurse said then the fatigue will hit, as my blood count will be lowest during that second week.  When week three rolls around I’ll be feeling better by the day and just as soon as I feel normal again, I’ll have my next treatment.  So, Mel’s planning a fall neighborhood front yard party for one of those good weeks-in honor of no one, just because he wants to.  Maybe that’s what he did all day.  I have no clue.

Sidenote 9/13:  After realizing Mel has no clue about medicine, I decided this morning to call my friend and nurse extraordinaire, April, to administer my Neulasta.  Painless!  Best decision yet.

Overall Day 1: Feeling loved, and surrounded and very optimistic that this will not hold me down (too long anyway)!

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