Friday, January 21, 2011

Chemo #2

No school for B~ today but I still had to go to chemo. No fair!


From my point of view...

First things first.

Saline next, then Adriamycin, aka the Red Devil.
Next: Cytoxan, after that the mystery drug: Avastin or placebo? Probably Avastin (80% chance).

The fabulous nurse B~ keeping an eye on things.

Rather than drive two hours for tomorrow's Neulasta shot, B~ teaches J~ how to do the honors. Brother A~, with a pillow strapped to his arm, makes a mighty fine practice dummy.
Hair loss has begun.


I feel basically fine until an hour or so after leaving the hospital. That's when the nausea begins to kick in. This time, I sip strong ginger tea we brought along in a pint jar, which knocks back the nausea instantly but eventually leads to painful heartburn. My next door neighbor gives me Pepcid, and J~ runs down to the market for Pepto Bismol, which help a little.
ps. I spent the night on the couch. The idea of lying flat in bed seemed too hard on my stomach. But I managed to get through the night without additional meds (last time I took Compazine and Ativan). Though queasy and still a little heartburny, I feel significantly less drugged this morning. It's a trade-off I can live with.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had chemo for bone cancer 26 yrs ago and the word Adriamycin still sends shivers down my spine. Scary too how the pic of the drug going into you can make me feel nauseous. That drug is evil, and yet wonderful too, cos I sit here 26 yrs later, cancer-free!
Good luck during this time.

Kerry said...

You learned from experience...hope you continue to rebound back quickly...great photos giving everyone a visual into your world. I know you hear it alot, but you're pretty amazing...Peace!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for continuing to share your journey. I am keeping fingers and toes crossed that you are moving fast down the learning curve and that you'll be hitting the pool in a few days vs. just before your next treatment.

Hugs from California--and believe it or not, I'm jealous of your beautiful snow!

Anonymous said...

Thinking of you, hoping for easier bouncebacks after each round. You look so meditative when you are nauseous. That's supposed to be a compliment.

Thank you for doing a photo essay of your experience. This is literally lifting a veil of ignorance and superstition for me. This is so powerful, yet so mundane.