Chemo treatment #3

Well, this was the hardest treatment so far. Not the treatment itself, but the after effects. We got there at 12:45 and were actually taken back on time. No emergencies this time. I sat in my usual chair in the corner and was given my Tylenol and Benadryl. I had Nurse Katie again and she hooked me up to the mediport, which hurts going in less often each time. It stings a bit once it's in and I can feel most of the drugs running through it. I never actually looked at the needle until yesterday. Big mistake. It's the size of a small nail. Looks similar to this:
Mine isn't a butterfly needle like this one, but has a cover over the top of it. You can see it in the other 2 chemo albums.

Blood was drawn again from the mediport and my numbers came back good. The saline drip and Aloxi/Decadron drip were started. Following that was Ativan, my happy juice. My vitals were good, except for my blood pressure, which was high. Temp: 98.2, BP: 136/94, Pulse: 89. The chemo drugs were given in a different order this time starting with the push in drugs: Adriamycin and Vinblastin. Next came the Bleomycin, followed by the 2 hour Decarbazine drip.

As you can tell from some of the pictures, I fell asleep this time. I've been so exhausted the past few days. Starting school can do that I guess. And going to see Tom Petty on Wednesday night probably had a little something to do with it. :) It was well worth it, though. Matt and I got tickets for my mom for Mother's Day. We had a blast and Tom was awesome! I have a list of friends and family that I send out text messages to to keep them updated through the process. This time, unfortunately, they didn't get the full rundown. Sleep interfered and I kinda left them hanging. Sorry, guys!

I have 4 new kiddos this year, bringing my total up to 12. I'm starting to get worn out more easily. I come home and rest most days. It was hard leaving my kids yesterday afternoon. Only a couple of them can grasp that I'm going to the doctor. They don't know much of my diagnosis and I'm not sure how to explain it to them. I just prepare them that I'm only there a half a day. One of my 5th grade boys actually hugged me, told me he loved me and wished me good luck.

I have more nausea this time than last time. I've noticed the increase each time I have treatment. It starts a couple of hours after treatment and I still have it now. It's really more stomach cramps. I can eat little meals, and have, but for the most part, I'm not very hungry. I've had a headache on and off, as well.

Remember in my previous blogs I've mentioned the fact that I'm stubborn??? Well...I still have my hair. According to the professionals, hair loss occurs 14-17 days after your 1st treatment. I'm about 2 weeks overdue and my hair hasn't even thinned yet. That's not saying I'm not going to lose it, but as Matt and Nurse Katie confirmed yesterday, I'm a freak. :) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it holds. 2% of people keep their hair, but Nurse Kelly (my 1st chemo nurse) says she's been doing this a long time and has never seen someone keep their hair. We'll see!

Something funny I should add, too. On Fridays at my school, we can wear jeans and a school shirt. I wore my GPISD Wellness shirt. I liked the irony of wearing a wellness shirt to chemo. HA! I take humor where I can find it.

Well, that's all for now. I'm pretty tired, as usual. I'll keep this updated on my side effects. :)