The 1st Round fo Chemo is Under Way!

So I'm awake early at let's say 9:30 and I start my day. Rachel and I get ready, hed to Target, get some stuff, forget to look at cute hats and scarfs for me, and check out. I make macaroni and sandwhiches for all of us and then wait for Paul to get home to go to Chemo. I'm ready, right? I'm really ready; I keep telling myself this over and over. It's not really sinking in but I figure, what the heck, how bad could it be?

Not knowing is a blessing. Being a cardiac nurse, I truly know nothing about Chemo agents except that at the hopital, if I come inot contact with a pt. who is getting chemo, I have to where special chemo block gloves. I wouldn't want to get that stuff on me let alone inside of me; wait, yea, here it comes baby!

So I wait in the waiting room for 5 minutes and it feels lilke an hour. We are escorted back to a small room with no decor, a small TV/VHS player and a lazyboy and some chairs. My nurse introduces herself. Now, from this point on, imagine her and me talking in a British accent. She is from the UK and her name is Hum. She is lovely and has been doing this a long time. She is giving me a vesicant called Adriamycin (look it up) and has to be very careful not to let it leak out from my port. Ok, about the port. Nothing is ever easy with me, so why should accessing my port be any different.
The port is under my skin and very close to my left armpit but in front kind of right next to my shoulder but not quite on my chest. Got the picture? So she cleans me up, get a 1 inch needle and tries to stick the port. Attempt one= FAIL. Ouch! Attempt two= FAIL. Shit! She calls in Karen. Karen will get it! They are a little concerned that the prot has flipped around and the back is now facing us. That would suck.....for me. Well, anyway, Karen gets the 1 inch needle and boom, she gets it but says, wow thats deep. Make a note in her chart! Ok, it's in and I'm ready, right?

To make a long story short, I got 20 minutes of Adriamycin and 1 hour of Cytoxin dripped and pushed into me. I did great! I also got alot of anti-nausea meds and steroids. All to help me get better my dear! I get the needle out and leave the office feeling fine! I even took a long walk around the block with Mocha and Paul. My mind is good, and I feel very fortunate for my smarty pants doctors at this point. I am going to be just fine, and at this point I know it!
The best news of all; I get a three week break from chemo while Im in Hawaii and I can get into the Ocean!!!!! Except only when the sharks are feading; before 10am and after 4pm!! I have choices!
Ok Im off to bed as my brother Al and his son Alex will be arriving in the morning and I want to feel good for this visit!
Good Night and God Bless!