Chemo # 1

Leading into my first chemo, I had high anxiety. Each chemo patient has a different experience with these treatments, and they have evolved tremendously over the years. How can anyone really describe to you what it is like to have poison infiltrating your body? I really had no idea what I would feel. But I was following the proverb, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

On Wednesday morning at 9am, I went in for bloodwork first. Since I hadn’t had any treatments before, there was no concern that levels would be low. However, providing bloodwork before a treatment is the norm. Next, I met with my oncologist and the research nurse that is my main contact for the clinical trial. Then onto the juice!

The original chemotherapy plan would have me receiving treatment for four hours. The addition of the immunotherapy now makes it five. I went back to the chemo center and picked my chair for the day. I had packed BAGS of food and activities to keep me busy. I definitely looked like the new kid on the block with all my baggage. Well, I should say all the baggage that Paul and my Aunt Jill carried for me. We set up shop and were ready for the games to begin!

I have a tendency to give names to inanimate objects, and now that I have all these new features to my body, the additions are no exception. My stoma (the external hole on my stomach for colostomy) is named Tommy. My port is Porticia, and Porticia was being put to work.  She had already given a ton of blood that morning, now it was time to receive the IV meds. She did great! I didn’t feel a thing. The only annoying part is when they clear the line with Saline. I can taste that and I’m not a fan. But if that’s the worst thing, bring it!

It was just a really long day. Not surprising that the first session took a bit longer to get going. With Porticia, I stay plugged in the whole time. They just connect a new IV bag to her tube when they switch to a new drug. The final bag wrapped up around 3:45, and then they hooked me up with a small, portable pump ball that would provide medication 5ml/hour for the next two days. We finally got out of there at 4pm. I was so happy not to be sitting!

They explained that a steroid and anti-nausea meds were given via IV during the session. This would help combat initial fatigue and nausea, which was very nice. When I got home, it was a beautiful day, so I went for a walk. My therapist (got one of those now) recommended I take time after treatment to find an enjoyable place, and to visualize the treatment working into my body. So I did just that. I went to the Summit Overlook, let my hair down to feel the breeze and sunshine, and did some breathing exercises while visualizing the medication working through my body and healing me. I reminded myself that I am strong, and I am healthy and I will beat this. I’m not very good at meditating, so instead of listening to Tibetan monks chanting, I turned to Pink Floyd. They’re totally zen, right?

In the days to come, the fatigue slowly set in, which meant lots of naps. I proactively continued to take anti-nausea meds, so that was really kept at bay. The weird side effect I started having was sensitivity to the cold. It made my fingers and toes tingle, and if I drank something cold my tongue and throat would tingle as well. So, I start using oven mitts in the kitchen to open the fridge, I have to run the water for a bit to warm up before washing my hands, and I eat and drink everything at room temperature. 

It was Mother’s day weekend, and my parents came up to visit. My aunt was still in town from San Diego, so it was really nice to have family around. Our good friends Elise and Efren hosted a Mother’s Day cook out and we all enjoyed the beautiful day.

Sunday was really the end of my post-chemo symptoms. I was able to return to work on Monday and didn’t need any naps during the day. While I was taking walks every day, they weren’t as long as usual. By Monday/Tuesday, I was back to my normal biking and walking routines. It was a nice feeling to know I had more than a full week still to recover. I was feeling good. I went in on Wednesday, one week after my chemo, for the oncology labs to check my toxicity levels. All of my levels had already returned to what they were pre-chemo, so that was really encouraging and a great feeling. I am strong, I am healthy and I will beat this.

Sally Forth.