September 24, 2003

I took the whole day off from work. I wasn't sure what the day would bring, and I was a little bit apprehensive. I also felt the beginnings of what could be a cold. I had that all too familiar tickle in my throat. This would not be a good way to start chemo.

I brought a friend with me in case there were any problems and I couldn’t drive home. I waited in the waiting room for almost a half hour. When the nurse finally came to get me, she was very apologetic. There was a mix-up in communication and they never got the word from the front desk that I was there. She told me to always ask the front desk if I’m not taken right away…sometimes the message just never gets back to them in the back. (editorial note: They’ve never been late calling me back since!!!) Rebecca, my nurse, went over everything in detail. She told me about the side affects, and what symptoms are important to report. She took her time explaining everything to me and put me at ease. I also signed a consent form, saying that I was willing to receive chemo. Ooooh, maybe I should re-consider this….!!! ;-)

She began by administering anti-nausea drugs along with fluids (saline). This took about 30-45 minutes. Then she began with Adriamycin. It was administered using three syringes. They infused it slowly, 5 minutes per syringe. Guess there’s no going back now!!! This drug is very caustic, and if it leaks out of the vein, the drug will eat my skin! That’s why my doctor insisted I get a catheter. It’s a very safe way to administer this drug. Then she gave me the Cytoxan. This dripped from an IV bag, and it took approximately 45 minutes. The anti-nausea drugs made me very sleepy. This was normal. They kept asking me how I was feeling and if I was nauseous. I felt pretty good, and didn’t feel sick. I was just tired. I survived my first chemo without any problems. It appears either that I was very lucky, or that the anti-nausea drugs ROCK!