June 11, 2020 Chemo Day 1

Early morning start…with no coffee, water or food. I get that they have to put the chest port in at the hospital, but is it really surgery? The oncologist said they’d numb my skin so I wouldn’t feel them putting it in. But I don’t know more than that, will I be asleep or just looking away so I don’t have to watch? Things I wonder about…and should have an answer for soon

I’m about 24 hours late in adding to this…life happens.

I have answers though! The chest port is like a mini surgery. I had to get an IV, which took some doing but the guy was very nice, Ian is his name, and he reassured me that the vein on the inside of my elbow was good for an IV if I ever needed to know for future reference. I was awake for it and my friendly Ian RN was my watcher during, to make sure I was ok throughout.

I left the hospital with orange sterilizer on my chest and shoulder…a bit like a bad spray tan…that got cleaned up Friday morning.

BJ got sandwiches for us to eat between hospital and the office around the corner where we went for chemo.

Stephen was my main nurse and he took me through all the chemo stuff before they started giving me any drugs. And I got a packet of papers to read about the drugs and side effects, some we covered and some he left me to read.

It turns out that my drug mix is TCH instead of TCHP. After reviewing my bloodwork, the oncologist decided I did not need to take Perjeta with the Herceptin (antibody drugs). And my Herceptin is really something that starts with a K….I need to learn the name, it’s a biosimilar drug.

Anyway, they started me off with a steroid and anti-nausea meds, and then I iced up my hands and feet and he started the Taxotere, after that was Carboplatin and lastly the Herceptin/K…drug. After the last one started up, he fixed up a Nuestra patch, which basically puts a tiny flexible needle in your arm that is auto-timed to release the drug 27 hours after it’s put on (which is right after your chemo is finished), so you don’t have to take another trip into the office for a shot (yay). It feels like a pin prick, so not too bad in the world of needles. I had them put the extra adhesive on so I didn’t knock off the container holding the drug (which would require me to then go in and get a shot). The drug is to help boost your white blood cells to help with recovery after chemo and help prevent one of the side effects (some kind of infection). Extra adhesive, good (I kept running into walls while turning right), bad (It hurt more to remove after the drug dispensed). I’m going to have to make a call on whether the good outweighs the bad for next time.

Chemo day 1 down in the books. I left feeling fine, no reactions to the drugs and we learned that I’m somewhat sensitive with some receptor that runs by/near the port. I could smell one and taste the other fluid that the use to clean and flush the port. Apparently you have receptors for smell and taste in the area and some people can smell and taste, even though it isn’t going near your nose or mouth. Kind of cool if you think about it.

The port was fine all day, got irritated when they were fiddling with removing the hospital tape and covering it up to protect it but that eased off as we got home.

I did start getting a headache in the car and felt a little queasy. We got home and I had some caffeine (first of the day) and some soup from Lily Kai and the headache eased off, so I think it was more likely due to my lack of caffeine than chemo drugs. I took some advil before I went to bed and slept pretty well until Baya woke me up at 1:30, and then 3, and then 4:30… So, I guess it was good I went to bed a little early.

Friday has been fine. I took my after chemo drugs as planned with breakfast and lunch (I think more steriods, a long name starting with D). And I took a Claritin this morning also. Woke up with a headache so attacked it with caffeine, food and claritin. Seemed to do the job as I felt fine from late morning on.

The Nuestra drug dispensed as expected and I already told you about the removal…so far the reactions have been a flushed face (took my temp, only 97.5° so no worries there) and now I have a little spot of pain on my right hip…but that could also be from how I was sitting at the computer while working today…so hard to tell with these aging bones I have…I might take some advil as I head off to bed and see how that helps for morning. I need to start going on short walks again. Everything I’ve read and been told says it helps across the board so I need to make it a priority.

We’ll see how the weekend goes as the drugs wear off but so far so good! We’re taking a trip to the store to stock up on the over the counter meds they recommend for various side effects, so I’ll be prepared for anything!