Monday, July 16, 2012

A Long Day


The first day is over. I am very tired.
We were at the Platte Valley Medical Group Clinic at 8:00 this morning. We went right back into the infusion room to start the IV through the port. The nurses called it a "naughty port day" because the first three ports they started failed and had to be redone, one of them was mine. The nice thing about the port is they can take blood sample through there without having to stick me more times.  Another nice thing, is that the needle stays in the port for my three days of chemo, so I don't have to be poked again.  Before I start the Cisplatin, I have to have two hours of saline. About half-way through that they decided to start the VP-16 and run it at the same time as the saline, that lasts an hour and a half. After that, they began the Cisplatin which lasted another hour and a half. Then it was flushed through with more saline for another three hours. By this time it was 5:30 and still had to walk over to the Cancer Center for radiation. They had to open the back door to let us in because normal clinic hours were over. Jim went to get the car while they put me on the table, snapped the mask on, and radiated me. Twenty minutes later I was all done. Now I am home on our nice, not-quite-so-new-anymore couch and having a hard time getting the energy to go to bed.
Lynette is making me an ice cream sundae with bing cherries so I guess I'll stay up for that.

Oh, by the way, the IV bag with the paper bag over it is the Cisplatin, it is sensitive to light.  
I also had what we think was an anxiety attack when they put my anti-nausea meds in with the first saline.  I was looking up at the bag, and all of a sudden I felt sick to my stomach and got really hot, so that created a bit of excitement, but my vitals were all good and I soon cooled off and I didn't look at them hanging up the bags anymore.

5 comments:

Luanne said...

Day one down my friend. You are a trooper! Good night

Renee said...

Well look at your cheery smile! You are stepping down this road of cancer therapy....Thought of you all day and it is lovely to check on you and get an udate now before bedtime. Good night.

Dorothy said...

Well now. That was day #1. And according to my calculations, you are 1/4 done with days like day #1. Actually, there will only be one more day just like day #1, if I have it right. So technically, you're half done with days like day #1!
But Renee is right...look at that cheery smile (covering a boat load of apprehension, I'm sure.) I've been thinking about a lot of people these days, particularly around York NE, whose smiles cover a multitude of feelings. There's a song that goes something like this: To smile when your heart is breaking takes courage of unknown worth. To plod on when all seems darkness takes something that's not of this earth. And so on, but I don't remember the rest.
This is another big big big day for you with a trip to Omaha it looks like, in addition to chemo and rad. Better now than later. We're pulling for you!
Love, Dodie

gkey said...

Dear On the Treatment Road,

I thought of you all day yesterday. Wishing I could be there to keep you company a little.

Love,
Wishing you Well
in
NE

Darcie said...

WOw...what a journey you are on! Like others have said...Day 1...DONE! Keep that beautiful smile on your face...says so much about you, without uttering a word.