FIRST TREATMENT

You all remember what the PICC looks like. It is through that blue tip that all the drugs administered to me today in chemo were introduced into my body. Keep on reading. I will refer to the PICC later. (Or, as soon as I remember have Jody show me why I am unsuccessful at moving pictures around, later posts will have the pictures where I think they should be instead of where the computer puts them. Just roll with it folks.)(But then again, she might not remember because, as we all know, it has been a long long long time since Jody has updated her blog........)

But I digress.

First chemo and radiation treatments today. So far, so good!

Radiation was a snap. Go in, change to a hospital gown, lie on table for about 10 minutes and listen to the buzzing and clicking. Can't feel a thing. Get off table, change back into street clothes. Ordinarily I would be done at this point, but the nurse came in and talked to Dave and me about nutrition, side effects, care of the area, etc. Probably takes an hour, including travel time, or so if everyone is on time. I have the last appointment of the day, 4:30, so you know the nurses are wanting to go home and will not be dawdling! Sounds like skin damage (making the area very sore and tender) and diarrea may be the biggest side effects.

Chemo was a snap too, only a longer snap. Went to the treatment room, where the first medication they put in through the PICC was an anti-nausea drug. Took about 15 minutes. It is working wonderfully, however that did not stop Dave from going straight to the store to pick up two oral anti-nausea medications for me to have just in case..... Did I ever tell you how good he is to me?

The next medication they gave me was Mytomycin. It was also administered through the PICC and took about 30 minutes. Nothing really to report - felt nothing at all. Just a little scared, afterall I am putting poison into my body.

The last medication that they administered (and am still on) is Fluoraouracil. I say I am still on it because it will take 4 days to administer. They hook up the drug to a plastic tube for it to flow through which is hooked up to a pump, powered by a square 9 volt battery.

Everything is stuffed into the black fanny pack/shoulder bag that you see in the picture. The tubing that you see me holding in my right hand comes out of the fanny pack and goes up under all clothing, next to the skin, over the shoulder and down into the PICC. Everywhere I go I take my little black bag with me. Sleep with it, shower with it (we'll have to figure that one out 'cause the pump unit can't get wet) - my new best friend. So far, the only side effect is how heavy the bag is and how it keeps dragging down on my shoulder. Big wow, huh! The white stuff on my arm is only a protection to help keep the PICC from being dislodged.

Real side effects to expect though are fatigue, mouth sores (like canker sores) and perhaps nausea. If I feel anything tomorrow morning like I do this evening, I will be going to work. I can't say again how good everyone is to me at work. Lots of support, concern, love and prayers. Jason and Joan have threatened me. At the first sign of anything, I go home. I can do that!


Dave isn't aware of backgrounds. Should have straightened up (and smiled) a bit for my photo shoot!