Wednesday 2.27.2008 Treatment #3

Day 1, Treatment #3
Room 10

I made it, thanks to each of you and your support.

Our day started at 0700. I showered, dressed, breakfasted, collected the rest of the items for our "treatment bag". Daniel is so good--he reminded me of things we had before, and ended up taking just what we needed. Blanket, heating pad, small ziplock bag of vanilla wafers, water bottle, planner, pencil, list of discussion points for Dr. Bolmer, pen, my phone. I wondered if we could take the laptop--Hey, Dan, do you remember if they have wireless internet there? He didn't remember, so I called. They do, wa hoo! Add laptop to the list.

We left about 0910 for our 0930 appointment. The roads were still somewhat icy-caution was needed especially intersections-but the highway was mostly wet. We checked in at 0930, and were called back before I had even sat down. Cool. Stop at the scale--145.6#. Up from last treatment, but I have a fleece top on for warmth. (I later took the top off and reweighed--144.2 without the fleece, which is actually down 0.4 # from last treatment day.) 100/61 97.1 temp, pulse 83. We were shown to Room 10, which right there when you come through the door, by the scale, and the check-out window is right there, too. I expected this room to be "busy" with the traffic flow. It was.

Room 10 is just like the others; this room had a brown leather recliner with the swingy arm table, 2 side chairs, and a (smaller) TV mounted on the wall. A counter with work sink, the tall yellow biohazard bin, smaller wastebasket next to that. One window, and the calendar on the wall. Overall, this room is smaller than the other 2 we've been in.

This room was also directly across from Room 11, the Holding Room that we were in last time. A patient was placed in there, and we politely didn't look at each other, while checking each other out. She smiled, I smiled. She spoke, we exchanged pleasantries. Rose called her by name, Leslie, and I told her my name. She was having a blood draw, saying she does this every 6 months. She offers that she had colon cancer, and is 6 years out, and doing well. She did look good. That's encouraging. Her visit was brief, and she left. Well wishes were exchanged.

Phyllis came in at 0940, smiling. She looked good--what caught my eye was her haircut. And I mentioned that to her. She smiled again. I told her she looked good (hey, a little schmooze can make for a better experience...). She got the IV stuff ready, explaining that Dr. Bolmer had called to say she was running late (we were supposed to see her first), and that Doctor had asked to "get me started", that she would see me in the room. Ok.

I told Phyllis that I'd like to keep my needle for tomorrow, she said ok, and found a good site just below the antecubital, next door to the first site. A 24 gauge went in lickity-split, she drew the blood tubes, (a tall and a short, as I say--the taller pink top and shorter lavender top), screwed on the cap, hooked up a 250 ml bag of 0.9% Normal Saline. It's running nicely, and I have a moment of being flushed and light-headed. I say this out loud, and laugh, and tell both Phyllis and Dan that I have to sit about 10 minutes just having the annual TB test... It passes, I breathe, on to the next step. It's 0950.

Phyllis goes out to get the Pre-meds. I had asked her if I could have the Zofran instead of the Kytril, I think the stomach pain was less with the Zofran. She said sure, they have both today, no problem. 0950 She returns with the 50 ml bag that has Zofran 32 mg, Decadron 10 mg, Benadryl, 25 mg, and Tagament 300 mg, plugs it in, turns it on. Ok, here we go...

I can tell the meds are infusing, as I experience a little "buzz". From the Decadron? or the Benadryl? Geesh. And just when I'm thinking maybe this could go in a little slower, Dr. Bolmer comes in.

We talk about how I did with the last treatment: skin is good with the Vitamins E and B6, the mid-cycle spotting, (who's your gynecologist....), and stomach pain/nausea. I will try the Nexium this time to see if that helps with the stomach discomfort.

She also had the results of the Genetic Testing. BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutations are NEGATIVE!!!!! Woo Hoo!!! Great News! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! So, what does that mean?? That means that I don't have to consider having surgical removal of the ovaries, and uterus, too, as an incidental. And any/all people, both male and female, in my blood line do not need to worry about a mutation that showed up in me, that could show up in them. If anyone develops their own cancer (shudder), they might consider their own genetic studies to see if they have their own mutation, though.

Dr. was with us approximately 1/2 hour. While she was with us, the pre meds were infusing, and I was steadily becoming more buzzed. I could feel the medication in my brain, and felt like I was having a hard time holding my eyeballs steady when I blinked. I felt like both Dan and Doctor were watching me have these effects, which made me want to slow the meds down. But the little bag was almost in, with just a smidgen in the bottom of the bag, and then it finished, and the bulk started running. Yo. That was difficult to follow the conversation with that going on, and I had written things down, as well as took notes while she was talking. In the long run, I covered everything I wanted to, except for the tingling in my fingers of the left hand. Hm.

Just as Doctor left the room, Phyllis came in with the Taxotere, 125 mg. She hung it, and I mentioned to her that I had forgotten to tell the Dr. about the tingling in my fingers. Her hand froze on the roller clamp, and she turned it back off. She asked me more questions about it, and I told her that we had talked about it the previous visit and was using the Vitamins E and B6. Ok, she said. She said she was going to mention it to Dr. before starting the medicine. Ok. She left.

1035 Phyllis came in with another bag of 500 ml NS to change out the 250 bag, which still had maybe 75-100 ml left. After that was hung, I got up to use the restroom. Or perhaps, weave my way to the restroom. Such a strange feeling.

1055 I had returned from the restroom, gotten situated in The Chair, and Phyllis came in a few minutes after me to start the Taxotere. This was in a 250 ml bag. Interesting. The first minutes of the infusion, I tasted something "sweet", kind of metallic. Hm. It either didn't last very long or I got used to it, because after a while I didn't notice it. The bulk was dripping, too, kind of slow. After watching it infuse a bit, I pinched the tubing on the Taxotere to slow it down a little, (yes, I did) and sped up the bulk, to help dilute it. The literature I've seen says that it can go in over an hour, but gosh, that's a lot of fluid. As Phyllis and Rose walked by the door and peeked in, they both seemed satisfied with the rates. Decent.

1135 Bathroom time again.

1220 Taxotere done, Ringy Dingy on the little silver bell.

1235 Rose came in and started the Cytoxan, 1020 mg in 250 ml. I was ok with the rate. I was getting hungry, and Daniel had mentioned earlier that he was going out to get Chinese food for us. Cool. I asked if he would do that, and he did. I got up to the bathroom again. (Rose was looking harried, or focused, like she was really busy....)

1305 Daniel back with yummy lunch, I had chicken and vegetables, steamed rice. Not the best that I've had, but it worked.

1330 Cytoxan done, Ringy Dingy. Several minutes later, Rose came in, clamped off the Cytoxan, opened up the normal saline, full speed.

1400 Done. Ringy Dingy. Rose was with the patient next door, but came in to see what I needed. (Thank You, Rose.) I told her we were done, and she disconnected me and heparin flushed the needle, and wrapped the site with the self stick wrap, royal blue. She said we're all done, and blew out of the room. Thank You Rose.

Dan and I left, came home. By now, the city streets were mostly melted, and the highway was mostly dry. I wove my way up the stairs, unpacked, settled in. I had an orange, while I could still taste it (because, you know, in a couple of days...), started the blog entry, tried to stay awake, but decided to lay down for a while. I settled in on the bed and dozed off, sleeping from 3:30 - 5:00. I got up and worked on this blog entry. It's difficult to stay focused, but I'm getting it done.

While I was resting, Daniel went out and picked up the Nexium. When I got up, there was a twinge of that stomach pain. After feeling it for a time, I decided to take one and ward it off. I've been drinking, but haven't produced much urine the remainder of the afternoon. My hands are getting tight. I had a 12 ounce cup of coffee, thinking that might help to diurese some. All together this evening, I've had that, and a 16 ounce water and a 24 ounce water, and peed maybe 3 times. This is what I did the other two treatments, too, so I guess that's a side effect of one of the drugs... My eyes are also watering. This is different than the first two treatments. They don't burn or anything, just watering, from the outer corners. Hm.

Daniel had prepared a pork roast in the crock pot for us for tonight, and I've had a bite of that.
My head is woozy at intervals, and as I mentioned, it's difficult to focus at times. (like, mostly) So if this is a bit disjointed, please take that into consideration.

Well, Daniel has gone to bed, and it's after 11 again for me. I will review this entry sometime tomorrow, and maybe edit it--when I have, I'll remove this line, so you'll know it's done.

I'm off to bed.

Let me say, Your colors and strengths and energies and prayers and hugs and kind words were with us today, and I embraced it all, breathing in, pulling as much positive energy as I could fit, then made room for more. I tried to smile, be confident, strong, vulnerable, trusting, hoping that my/our energies will ooze over onto others. Thank you all, Thank you Lord. I am truly blessed.


This is a work in progress, please check again...