A typical chemo day...

We can't believe it...tomorrow will be Taxol #10, with only two weeks left of chemo after that! Time is sure flying by...it seems like just a couple weeks ago, I was getting myself mentally ready to begin the second portion of chemo, with 12 weeks of Taxol + Herceptin.

A few people have asked me what going in for chemo is like, so I thought I'd take you through a day in chemo (well, two days, really). I go in each Tues to meet with my Onc or Nurse Onc Practitioner (on alternating weeks) and to get my blood work done (CBC - just done through a finger stick), to make sure my red and white cell counts and platelet levels are doing well. We talk about the side effects I'm feeling, and they do a short physical exam to make sure everything looks and sounds normal. When I get the thumb's up for treatment on the following day, that wraps up the appointment.

On Wed, we go into the Chemo Suite at the back of the Oncologist's office and pick a recliner to sit in for my 2 1/2 hour adventure. I get my blood pressure and temperature taken, then I get two Tylenol prior to receiving treatment for the Taxol. As Jeff and I get comfortable, one of the nurses brings her rolling cart over to start my IV line. I have the port-a-cath in my chest (the VAP was surgically placed under the skin when I had the mastectomy), so they access my port with a hooked needle that kind of looks like a butterfly. The needle pokes through my skin and into the catheter, which leads into my heart. Once the line is established and the nurse detects blood flow, I get to start one of the five IV bags for the day.

First, I get hooked up to a bag of saline solution that runs throughout the treatment in between the other bags of medications. The second bag is Kytril (for nausea) and the steroid, Decadron (used to counter allergic reactions to the Taxol), and takes about 20 mins for the infusion. My next bag is Benadryl (used to counter allergic reactions to the Taxol)and Tagament (for heartburn/stomach lining issues), and this usually takes another 30 mins. The fourth bag is the Herceptin (for Her2-neu receptor positive cancer), which takes about 30 mins, and the final bag is the Taxol (chemotherapy drug), which takes about 40 mins for the infusion. Once I've completed all of the bags of meds, the nurse comes back over, flushes the catheter, runs a clear gel into the port, then removes the IV access needle.

For the last few treatments, I have borrowed one of the office personal DVD players and have watched a movie during treatment. I start the movie after my port is accessed, and Jeff makes his way over to the candy basket to see what kind of goodies are in there for us to munch on. I'm normally pretty comfortable until the Decadron and Benadryl infusion, when I start to get cold (and a bit sleepy). Jeff runs to the blanket heater and pulls out a couple warm blankets for me to get cozy with. Sometimes I take a short snooze after the Benadryl, but I can usually push through the wave of drowsiness. Once I get to the Taxol bag, I start to get warm and have to shed all of the blankets...must be the hormone issues with the Taxol??

Once the access needle is out, we head to the daycare to pick up the kiddos. After receiving treatment, I'm pretty tired until about 7pm, then I seem to perk up a bit. I definitely get a boost of energy in the evenings of chemo, just as I should be winding down for bed. The insomnia was pretty bad in the beginning, but seems to be a bit better. I think the chemo is wearing on me, making me pretty tired overall. I also have become better at managing the medications to counter the side effects of the chemo.

My medicine cabinet is ridiculous though! I think I'm going to have to go through drug rehab, once this is all said and done. I think I have pills for everything, literally A to Z...

Ambien - for insomnia, although it hasn't worked as well for me lately
Ativan - (my current fav) for insomnia, nausea, and anxiety...it makes me not care so much that my hands and feet are numb
Prevacid - for indigestion
Reglan - for nausea (this one has worked the best for me lately)
Zantac - for heart burn that doesn't seem to go away
Zofran - for nausea
Zyrtec - for seasonal allergies and to counter the side effects of the Neupogen shots

This week, my whites are low again, so I will be having Neupogen shots on Thurs, Fri & Sat to make my bone marrow produce more white cells. The shots aren't too bad - I choose to get them in the arm, although most people like them in the belly. I've always had shots in the arm, so it seems like a better place for me.

Other than that, this week is a normal week. My hands and feet still have varying degrees of numbness each day (Taxol side effect), although my fingertips are constantly feeling like I have a 1/2 inch callus at the end of my fingers. This week, it has started to feel like I have bruises in my fingernails - I have a dull ache in my nails when I pinch or put two fingers together. The nausea hasn't been as bad this week (although it never gets really bad - more just an underlying feeling of nausea), and I have had more of an appetite overall. I am waking several times throughout the night due to hot flashes - poor Jeff has to put up with me pulling the covers on, then kicking them off an hour later, and tossing and turning, trying to get back to sleep. I've been pretty tired as well, but considering that I have two babies under two running around the house, I feel pretty good. I seem to have enough energy to do one big thing each day, whether that's going to the daycare to pick up Maryn or heading out to the grocery store. I'm hoping that my energy levels pick up as I move into the next chapter of my breast cancer battle - radiation.

I thought I would attach a picture of Maryn in her tutu and fairy wings, and a pic of Ryland that I took today, so you can see how big they are getting. Can you believe that Ryland will be four months old next week!?!

The SF Komen Race for the Cure is just around the corner on May 23rd, and Team Save the Ta-Ta's has done a great job at raising almost $3000 so far!

I hope this finds you healthy and happy!

Hugs,
Leanne