Week 1 went well, and because my blood levels were really good, they gave me a strong dose of the double chemo. My veins hadn't been cooperating, and that day was no exception. We ended up getting orders for fluids for four days straight because I was dehydrated. Brad came with for the day and we spent the afternoon visiting, resting, reading, and watching tv (well...I did...Brad mostly worked, but he was right by my side the whole time.) The heavy double-dose of chemo sat okay with me, with just some tiredness and a little bit up upset stomach coming my way the following days. Part of the reason I felt that it didn't hit me too hard was because of how awful I had been feeling before that, so between getting the pain under control, getting me fluids, and the pre-meds/steroids they give you pre-chemo, I ended up feeling almost better than I had been for the weeks before we started.
The next day (after the first double-chemo) I had a Power Port implanted out in Montevideo. This will be a huge help to me! I was incredibly grateful that they could do the procedure in our hometown, as the thought of traveling back to the cities the day after chemo and on the day of surgery was not something I would have been looking forward to. They took wonderful care of me and the procedure went smoothly. The port is causing me some discomfort, swelling and bruising, but it isn't anything that I can't handle, and I am happy for this option in the long run.
Week 2 was a little bumpier. Brad's aunt, Lisa, spent the day with me, as we thought it was going to be a quick trip to the cities. It was very busy at chemo that morning and we had to wait for awhile before I could even get my lab-work done. We used my port for the first time and I was glad to get that out of the way, as waiting for the first time for anything can be a little nerve-wracking. After labs we discovered that my white blood cells and platelets were really low, and I was nervous that they were going to make me go all the way home without getting chemo for the week. My doc ended up reducing the dose so I could get some and they also had me try out a Neulasta on-body injector that was pretty nifty and made me feel all current and tech-like. It ended up being a longer day than I thought, and I slept most of the way home (thank you, Lisa!) My parents had come out and were watching the kids for us while I was in the cities, and my mom stayed for a few days afterward, helping while the chemo took affect. The first couple of days went pretty well, but I was exhausted and nauseated over the weekend.
Today is the start of my off-week, and my nauseousness is finally starting to un-clench a bit. I'm hoping to gain some energy back and do a little better job of eating and drinking during this recovery period. I haven't lost my hair yet, but that should be coming any day, and we'll definitely update you on that, as I want to include the kids again and they're kind of excited for it to happen. All-in-all, we're happy these first few weeks are under our belt and that we have a week of recovery ahead of us. We continue to ask for prayers for peace-of-mind, for continued strength, for the support of those that support us, and for our kids, as it gets a little harder (especially on Brendan and Megan) when I don't bounce back as quickly. Everyone continues to do well, and we're starting to enjoy a little time outside together. Lots and lots of love to you all!
The Future Looks Beautiful!
We remember these chairs! Lets do this again!
We're prepping my veins with compression and warm wraps. Hopefully we'll get the chemo going with only a poke or two.
My helper: my port. We left the tubing on because I had to get fluids for a few days and that way they could just use the port instead of trying to use a vein each day. The port was inserted under the skin on my chest and a catheter runs over my clavicle and up my neck into a large central vein, allowing me to get medicines and fluids and give blood samples through the healed port instead of via my poor arm and hand veins. Everything is still very sore and bruised, but in the long run it will make all of my doctoring experiences better.
My local Oncology unit gifted me up with some new hats and a couple of wigs, in preparation for losing my hair again. The girls found the wigs and begged to try them on, then ran around the house, giggling for awhile, reveling in their new long, brown hair. Afterwards, Megan sweetly whispered to me that she would love it if I kept the wigs, even if I didn't want to use them, because they wanted to. Love my girls.
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