1st Chemotherapy

So here's the short of it,
Today was my first chemotherapy treatment, and I did fine with it.

And here's the long
Alan went with me as a second pair of eyes for all things medical (he's phenomenal at that stuff), and more importantly as my trusted companion.

We got settled in at about 9:00 and Lori (my infusion nurse) spent a good long time telling me exactly what to expect. She loaded the IV up with a bunch of anti-nausea medicine, and with Benedryl to try and ameliorate the effects of the Herceptin. The benedryl made me quite drowsy, so I really had one of those drug rests for a good part of the morning. The infusion room is set up in such a relaxed way. Alan was able to sit with me and visit when I was awake enough. Lori was exceptionally attentive. In the early afternoon I had a little party! My brother Steve and his wife Pat and two of their grown daughters, Lauren and Sarah, and my Mom were coming to the hospital to visit my Dad, Gene, who is currently in the Intermediate care unit at Erlanger. Alan met them and brought them up to Dr. Schlabach's office and we got to sit and visit for a good little piece of time. Since there were not many patients there today they were able to pull up chairs and so there we were! I was not nearly so sleepy by that time so it was a good visit.

Ok, gory detail warning for those who want to skip this paragraph,
For some reason the medicines made me have to pee! I'll bet I had to empty my bladder 8 times while I was there. So the process was just to get up and trail my lV pole along and walk over to the bathroom. I know that having the port in was a big help in this part of the endeavor. I could actually use both hands for managing the zipper and button, and for pulling my pants up and down. When I've had IV's before, they like to put them in my hand and which would have made all that maneuvering much more difficult. Also, Alan brought me a canned diet coke because I was thirsty. Some of you sisters who have already been through this probably warned me about this....it just tasted like liquid aluminum (or my imagination of that).

By the way, even though it was an infusion and I'm not scheduled to see the doctor on those days, Doctor Schlabach came back and spent a little time chatting, it was very apparent that he was giving me the clinical eye to see how well I had tolerated the treatment. He thought that the standard treatment was a good choice for me, and he did tell me that by the time I am through with this treatment, there may be a clinical trial that would be appropriate for me regarding the Lapatinib or another targeted drug that is now in very early trials.

It's now 8 hours since I finished the infusions and I can certainly feel the medicines coursing through my systems. right now I can feel a flush in my ears. Earlier all across my chest, another time all across my lower back, through my gluts, and down the upper part of the back of my thighs! I've also got some of those minor symptoms now - chills, a little dizzy, but it's all OK, I'm fine right now.

I am thankful for the staff at the University Oncology practice. Every single person I have met there has been absolutely amazing.