How did everything go today, @Beth Gallagher ? Since you are here and posting, that seems like a good sign. How often did you say you have to go for the chemotherapy ?
It went well, Yvonne. It was a really long day, but not nearly as terrifying as I had imagined. I will have 24 weeks of chemo; the first drug (Taxol) will be once a week for 12 weeks. Then the second drug (AC) will be administered once every 2 weeks for 12 weeks. The oncologist let me know that the second drug will be much more harsh as far as side effects, so I will be dreading that one. Also, the effects of chemotherapy are cumulative, so I will feel progressively worse as the weeks go by. If all the treatments were like today, it would be a cakewalk. Oh, and my hair will start falling out soon and will be gone in 2-3 weeks. My husband drove me to the medical center and dropped me off; I had an appointment with my doctor at 9:30 am, then I met with the oncology pharmacist to get an education on the chemo drugs and prescriptions for side effects, and then I had to sign the 'permission to administer' (CYA) form. After that I had an hour to kill so I went to the cafeteria and got a sandwich so I could sit and read without wearing a mask for a while. (It was well worth the $9 I had to pay for the lunch to just sit and not have that damn mask on!) Then I reported to the 8th floor for the procedure. There were a lot of people there for treatment, including several men. Apparently the "distancing" for Covid means a lot fewer chemo locations are available, so even though I was in the breast cancer chemo department, there were people with all types of cancers being treated as well. The facility was very nice; I had my own room, a TV, heated blankets, and they offered me a free lunch but I had already eaten. I had to get a review of the procedure from the nurse; then the IV cords were attached to my new port. That was the worst part; the wound from the port surgery is not fully healed and very tender. So once plugged in, they put some saline through the port. Then pre-meds; a steroid and an antihistamine to prevent an allergic reaction. Then finally the Taxol chemo and then a "flush" of the port to prevent blood clots. All of that took about 2 hours, and the staff kept a close eye on me to make sure I didn't have any adverse or dangerous reaction. After I was unhooked, they had to observe me for another 15-20 minutes, so it was about 4 p.m. when my husband picked me up. Here's the port hooked up... And here's my view from the bed...
Day 2. Still feeling OK. Most patients report that days 3 and 4 are the worst, so I'm hoping side effects will be mild. This is a real roller coaster but I slept pretty well last night. Just a bit of trivia about the chemo I'm getting. All my bodily fluids can be toxic to animals or family members for the first 48 hours, so I have moved all my tooth brushing supplies to a different sink and I'm supposed to close the toilet lid before flushing and flush twice after I pee. Who knew?? I'm using the kids' bathroom for the duration. (Since there are no kids here any longer. )
WOW ! that is shocking, @Beth Gallagher . That means that what they are giving you has to be very very toxic, if you have to shut the lid and flush twice just from using the toilet. On the other side, I am glad to hear that you are feeling okay, and hoping that the whole experience will be successful, and not be too hard on your body (and mind). I had a friend in Idaho who had the chemo, and she said that the 2-3 day afterward were the worst for her, too. She was really glad when it was all done with, and has not had any reoccurrence of any kind of cancer since then.
Some of the chemo drugs are extremely toxic, Yvonne. This Taxol works by killing off fast-growing cells in the body, which targets cancer cells but also unfortunately includes all the cells in mucous membranes and the digestive tract causing a plethora of unpleasant side effects. I'm supposed to drink 3 liters of water daily for the first 3 days after treatment, and keep well hydrated through the entire process. After the 12 weeks of Taxol, I'll get the AC (Adriamycin/cyclophosphamide) and has been nicknamed "Red Devil" by patients because the drugs are so harsh. This regimen can cause heart damage so they gave me a baseline heart workup (echo/ekg) and will monitor my heart for the treatment. I find that disconcerting... but then so much of this has been disconcerting. Most breast cancers are treated with the mastectomy first, then chemo and maybe radiation and hormone therapy, depending upon the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Since I drew the short straw of "inflammatory", I get the big guns chemo first to keep spreading contained before surgery. Breast cancer is treatable if caught early... but the treatment can be extremely harsh. I'm glad your friend is a survivor.
Thanks, @Shirley Martin. My poor hubby is getting the brunt of it, but he's a trooper so far. I must be getting "chemo brain" already, because when my grocery order arrived earlier I was yelling that "they forgot my bananas!!!" After reviewing the order, apparently I didn't order any. Oops. Then I found my morning cup of coffee on a shelf in the pantry. What the...??
I'm new to chat rooms I read your health story I wish there was something I could do, unfortunately the only thing I can offer is my prayers and thoughts. Stay positive there's a lot of good people here including myself that are in your corner. Tony
Hello Tony and welcome to the forum. What a very kind post; I sincerely appreciate it. I never turn down prayers, so keep 'em comin'. I hope you'll stick around and enjoy the forum; there are lots of good people here.
Those chemo drugs are what my daughter in law received as well, Beth and she did have her ups and downs. Believe it or not, she did tolerated them off and on, so don't feel it's going to be all a down side. It's a long haul for sure, but they have to get you ready for surgery which would be useless without making certain they've killed off the malignant cells. If the past year is any indication, time will fly and all the more so as you will be kept busy. I am glad to hear your doctor is keeping you well advised on what you are receiving, how it works and answers your question. God bless, kiddo and you know that we are all pulling for you. When you need a laugh, I 'll try to find a little humor to cheer you. Meanwhile, prayers and plenty of them are for you. xxxooo