Whew. Not as Bad as I Expected

One treatment down, three to go.

This is a round of new drugs.

The first is 5-FU (perfect name for chemotherapy...exactly how I feel :-)) This one is given through the infusion stand from a syringe and is very quick.

The second is Epirubicin. It's given as an IV push. It's so toxic the nurse has to administer it herself and not through the infusionator. There are two LARGE syringes about half full of the drug and the drug is dyed red. (side note: I pee orange for 3 days.) The nurse hooks it up to one of the ports and sits there pushing the plunger on the syringe so it goes into the IV. This drug is so toxic that if it breaks through the vein or leaks from the port it will begin to destroy tissue and it doesn't stop. Nothing they can do either. Yet it doesn't destroy the vein it goes into.... (we are interesting creations aren't we?) She also has to do what is called a blood draw every few minutes. All she does is pull the plunger on the syringe back to make sure there is full blood flow in the tubing through the port implanted in my chest.

The third is Cytoxan. This one is a regular infusion and takes about a half hour. It's also very toxic and is the drug that can make me very nauseous.

Here's the beauty part. Well, at least this was good information. My nurse has been in Oncology for 27 years. She was telling me that back then when she gave the Epirubicin the first thing she would do is give her patient a bucket. For them to throw up in....as she did the epirubicin push. It made people THAT sick, THAT fast.
She went on to tell me that my doctor doubled all my anti-nausea premeds and added Emend and she feels I will have no problem at all as long as I stick to the protocols.

My nurse, Rosa, tells me to drink 2 quarts of water every day for three days following the treatment. Due to the toxicity of the chemo drugs they can cause hemorrhagic cystitis...or big old bladder cysts. So she chants to me "Drink and Pee. Drink and Pee" It reminded me of Bee Movie "Thinking Bee. Thinking Bee."
I am drinking lots of water. I even have to get up in the middle of the night to pee and must set my alarm to do it or I could have serious complications. Drink 2 quarts of water and pee every two hours. Drink and Pee. Drink and Pee.

With this treatment my blood counts will drop and I am very susceptible to infections or illnesses. If I have a hot flash I have to take my temperature. I'll never keep up. I have a hot flash every 20 minutes. No joke. Of course my daughter comes home with a sore throat today. I will miss her. haha. I'm kidding. She's quarantined to her room for the weekend. Or maybe I should be. But if I quarantine her maybe she'll get SO bored she'll clean her room?!?

I am so grateful for all the good wishes and prayers that have come our way. My mother's housekeeper told her she lit a candle for me. This is very touching. Those aren't free and I've never met her. It reminded me of that song, "One Little Candle" ....'and if everyone lit just one little candle, what a bright world this would be.'

I've had some wonderfully spiritual experiences through this. Some true epiphanies and some very simple sweet moments. All of it has made me grow. I've had to learn new things and honestly it's an education I never wanted. I think we are all connected in ways we aren't even aware of. It's a small world and every challenge makes it smaller because you find those who have gone before you who are turning back to help you down that same road. I raise my water bottle and thank those who have blazed the trail.

Drink and Pee.
Light a Candle.
Keep the Faith.