CHEMO Treatments
June 2nd - 1st Chemo Treatment
My son took a before chemo picture of me...
The process begins...
I registered and sat down when 20 other people in the waiting room.
I registered and sat down when 20 other people in the waiting room.
My son went with me for the 1st experience to see how it goes, where I'll be. (I don't want him to take off work anymore though. I can sit there for a couple of hours by myself, no big deal.)
I wait for them to call names in sets of about 4 at a time.
I get weighed and they take my blood pressure. My BP has been under control lately. Maybe that's a bonus to come out of this, no more blood pressure issues.
Then I'm taken back to one of the lounge chairs to sit in.
I meet my nurse - Brenda - she seemed nice.
Brenda tells me about all the pre-meds before the Chemo. We start the pre-meds and it takes about 2 hours of that.
Then we start the two chemo meds which Brenda keeps reminding me that it is poison. Okay, yes go ahead and poison me I'm thinking. What else do you say to that?
She tells me of the potential side effects. I think I have one...rushing wave of heat from head to toe. It doesn't feel rushing though I just start gradually getting hot. I told Brenda after the fact and she said it was probably was an effect and I should have told her while it was happening. Okay I didn't know it wasn't sudden.
She tells me of the potential side effects. I think I have one...rushing wave of heat from head to toe. It doesn't feel rushing though I just start gradually getting hot. I told Brenda after the fact and she said it was probably was an effect and I should have told her while it was happening. Okay I didn't know it wasn't sudden.
- Echo - good no problems with heart.
- Bone Scan - good no problems with bone.
- CT scan -showed something on the lungs but she doesn't think it's cancer and if it is it didn't spread from the breast cancer but she sees no way for it to travel there. Even it is cancer the chemo drugs she is given me is also for lung cancer and it will kill it. It's a small something but she thinks its okay and we will just watch it.
We are still at level 2B/3 cancer and it is still curable. I'm listening to her but start looking out the window. Thinking its probably the mysterious Sarcodois back from the 1990's coming back. I'm sort of concerned only because it's just something else to scare me. But, I'm eventually okay, especially because I know it's not in my bones and the lung thing isn't that serious it seems. I had been worried about cancer in my bones because my knees hurt.
Getting Home from Chemo Treatment
I'm wiped out before I could get in the door. I sat down in the chair but was falling asleep. Changed out of my chemo "LOVE" shirt and put on night clothes. Went to sleep around 6 p.m., my son came up and asked me how I was doing but I was knocked out. Like really out of it.
1st Day After 1st Chemo
Woke up at 5:30 a.m. when my son left for work, tried to sound normal and upbeat but still sleepy. Got up around 11:30 a.m. showered and got ready for the day. Started doing things I needed to get done and one of those things was checking on the status of the Critical Illness Insurance.
Critical Illness Insurance
Went on line and it showed that the claim was approved and the check was processing. Man that is going to help with medical expenses.
One word of advice for Black Folder Project members is if you can get this insurance to get it. You never know when you will be diagnosed with a critical illness. Unum was the insurance company and they have been good to deal with.
That's all for now...