As I walked into the cancer center on Friday incredibly nervous, but also ready to get started with this so that we can be done with this.
12:30 I checked in for my pre-treatment labs. I had applied a HEAPING blob of the lidocaine numbing cream on my port an hour before my lab draw, as suggested. Which, was super helpful, because, the nurses had a hard time trying to locate the “bullseye” they need to poke the needle into my port. Apparently, this is common with newly installed ports, due to swelling during the healing process. I had one nurse try 2 times, unsuccessfully. A second nurse tried to locate the “bullseye”, but wasn’t confident enough, so she called in the Boss Bitch. She found it, “tapped in” and took some the blood samples to be tested. *they have to make sure your levels are healthy enough to receive the treatment*
1:15-2:00 spent the next 45 minutes waiting for lab results, but I did this in a lounge chair with Netflix so I was fine with the waiting.
2:15-4:30 during this time, I received the AC Chemo drugs (along with some anti nausea ones) intravenously via my port. I’m gonna keep it real guys, I asked for some “happy juice” to help ease my anxiety because, damn, it was real. After a little Ativan, I was feeling much calmer and didn’t notice anything more as the medicines were added. Matt watched a movie on his iPad and I spent the time filling up my Amazon cart (time to shop for new headwear!?).
Then, OMG, they have therapy dogs!! I was so excited to see this beautiful girl come visit me for a pick me up.
After the IV drip was over, my nice pod nurse placed my nuelasta auto injector on my arm. This will self administer a shot, in 27 hours, to help protect me from infections by stimulating my bone marrow to grow. We're living in the future guys.
That was it. Honestly, it was a very anti-climatic day. I was terrified but I'm proud of myself for doing it. Now I enter this hell of the unknown again. I keep thinking every little thing is a side effect. Do you guys remember the movie, Reality Bites? It was a favorite of mine back in the day, because who didn't have a thing for slacker-ass Ethan Hawke? Anyway, there's a scene when Janeane Garofalo's character is waiting for her HIV results and she says "...Every time I sneeze, it's like I'm four sneezes away from the hospice..." That's exactly how I feel right now.
Here's the full clip, because it's hilarious and I just love that movie.
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