So today I had my second chemo treatment and my GREAT niece Gretchen who is 9 was having surgery on her foot at the same time. Gretchen and I were texting last night and she told me she was really scared. I tried to encourage her by telling her that Jesus would be right there watching over her and giving the doctors wisdom. Today her mom, my niece Priscilla asked on Facebook for everyone to write Gretchen's name somewhere to remind each of us to pray for her. Well what better place to honor and remember this awesome young (old heart) GREATchen than right on top of my head. Yes Gretchen is the one who coined BWOWN BIWDS BEHIND as my nickname several years ago so I wanted her to know that the now bald beauty eagle was there for her. Plus yall know what a rebel I am!
Gretchen's surgery went well and she is home recovering tonight. Continue to pray for her as she is having a little bleeding tonight. Pray that God will stop the blood flow so that they DO NOT have to go to the ER tonight and can wait for doctor office tomorrow. Yall know the ER and hospital is where the SICK people are and we don't want to be there.
Chemo today went well. My sister Frieda was supposed to take me but has a cold that hasn't cleared up. Yall know how independent I am now. I adamantly chose to drive myself there and back because I did well the first time and they said it would be ok to drive myself. Well my caregiving sister Pat and my neighbor Judi weren't happy with me but I got this ladies! And after all givers are not good takers. Yep that's me.
Went to Hardee's and had me a yummy deli ham biscuit and a coke on the way. Oh wait but that was after I had to wait to leave the house. My girl Abi left this morning and flew to Dominican Republic for a mission trip. She knew that Frieda was going to take me and I didn't want her to know different because she would worry about me and be sad that I was alone. Now I can't have that. After all ME? I am never alone because I like to socialize and talk too much!
Patrice (who we call PatRice and she is Abi baby's DR momma) and her son Bradley picked Abi up at 7:30. Abi had asked what time Frieda was picking me up and I kindly replied around 7:45 because that would be the time. DR gang left and I left after they did. Well that worked all the way until Abi landed in Miami and saw that Frieda posted on FB that she was sorry she didn't get to take me. OOPS guess I should have covered that base. I got a sweet little text from Abi asking why Frieda didn't take me and was someone with me. I explained it all away and all is good. Abi and Patrice are safely in LaCumbre and we have face-timed tonight. The rest of the group will fly down on Saturday. Pray for this women's ministry week there. There are several going for the first time and I pray that God uses and blesses them tremendously. Watch for my next prayer reminder pic. You never know what my come to the top of my head!
Ok, right chemo! Got all settled in to my front chair so I could be up front of the class. Nosey socialite I am. Nurse came and looked at my veins. Yes, veins remember since I am blessed to only need 4 treatments I opted not to have a port put in because that would be another general anesthesia surgery and recovery and my veins looked like they would hold up. Nurse tried to start IV in left arm twice she got the vein but the vein didn't cooperate. Let's go to the right arm. Nurse #2 came over and started IV nicely on first try above the elbow and away from the bend (she said to always have them away from all bends, check). Now we're flowing! Got the dexamethasone and Eloxi mixed in one bag then the bag of other pre med all good. Took a pit stop break for fluid in fluid out during med bag change. Cozied back in my chair and all hooked up to the Taxotere (actual chemo) and my hands all gloved up in cool gloves when my IV site seemed to be burning. I advised the sweet nurse who came over and darned if that good vein had not blown and was infiltrating. Ok no blood return in IV means vein not good so let's move the IV. Nurse # 3 comes over and goes back to left arm. Gets a new IV and we drip happily ever after through the Taxotere then right through the Cytoxan. Up and outta there around 1:15.
Pat came after 12 and brought me Chik Fil A for my lunch pleasure while getting the big drugs and she stayed until I was done and came home.
All of this said may seem overwhelming to one who has not experienced anything like this before but here is how I viewed my day.
1. I am so blessed that I only need 4 treatments and they are 1 day every 3 weeks. There were 2 other ladies there that had started their 1st rounds of chemo yesterday and they have to go 3 days in a row then every 3 weeks for 6 treatments. YES I AM BLESSED and they are too!
2. While I was there alone by my choosing, I have several people that would have readily and happily gone with me. One of the other ladies said her son was supposed to bring her but he chickened out. He was supposed to "come by and see her" but he never showed and she was finishing as I was. The other lady had to be brought by transportation. YES I AM BLESSED. I hope that I was a blessing to them to know that even though they may have wanted someone with them they were not alone!
3. Why 3 nurses for IVs. You see I think in healthcare there is an art of orchestration. If the patient gets stressed about being stuck that puts the staff under stress too. If the nurse has adequately tried which they all did beautifully then let someone else have a try. We are all gifted different ways and techniques. And NO ONE WOULD EVER MISS AN IV ON PURPOSE! That's just the way it goes in chemo. It damages your feigns. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate especially the DAY BEFORE!
4. Right this minute at 10:18 pm it is 28 frigid degrees outside. I am sitting here in a short sleeve (gifted to me by my wonderful Sunday School girls) t-shirt sweating profusely with hot flashes. Hat on, hat off, blanket on, blanket off. I have the benefit that I am not as cold as everyone else is right now which helps on my heating bill. As for Pat she has to bundle up but I will let her turn up the heat as I'm sweating either way.
5. Since getting home I have managed to eat my way (thanks to steroid) through the hot flashes. Keep that tummy full to keep nausea down because I will be happy not to have that side effect although I have the good meds for it. I still don't think I will have trouble maintaining my weight during chemo. I know next week I won't feel great and nothing will taste good. Gotta store up. Lol
6. Tomorrow Neulasta shot then back home to let everything in me die and rebuild. Neulasta will boost my WBC and immunity plus add Claritin for Neulasta side effects. Have to have this because I became neutropenic after first treatment. Hopefully I won't feel as bad as after the first treatment.
7. I AM BLESSED. PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE LONELY AND HAVE HARDER BATTLES TOO!
Steroid was early today
Tylenol PM taken
Tummy full
Feeling sleepy
Silver linings
I just might get toms
Rep before 3am this time
love you all!
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