Chemo Day 1

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 Infusion day 1

Designed the shirt last night  Declan says I am a force   Not thinking it’s always a compliment but I’ll take it anyway   So we decide the first shirt is the Force   I am going to have to make the chemo collection shirts for when I need to go to MGH as if the hair doesn’t make enough of a statement  Gina the nurse did not even recognize me  






Lucky to have declan drive me in. Got some music together. Charged the iPad. Got the charger and headphones ready.  But of course I left that all at home. Lesson to self. Pack the bag the night before.  


Getting into the building. I strut in wearing my yoda:The Force is with me shirt with dads flannel over it for luck.  Acting like I come here all the time I tell the greeter I know where I’m going and take the new mask.  Then... proceed to try and find the location in my calendar and in gateway.  Can’t find it. F it. I think it’s the fourth floor.  So I get off there.  Not there. Maybe 5. Nope. 6?  Nope. Then I finally ask someone who looks at gateway and shows me it said 7B right in the calendar.  


Entry in. Height and weight vitals are good and labs look better. 

A little Ativan to take the edge off

Gina the nurse accesses my port easily.  She had no problem with drawing blood.  A research assistant from Seattle (nora would like this) named Connor (another good omen sign. ) he offers a research study which asks me to swish mouthwash and spit so they can do gene studies on the virus.  I agree of course. 


HIllary is my nurse.  From arlington with a 9mo baby.  She did a great job getting it moving. She will be my primary nurse. Did a great job accessing the port and keeping us on schedule.  


Onto the meds 


Took more steroids, a thick Med for nausea called Aprepitent that should last for three days. 


IV ns with 20 K

Magnesium.  Both to replace what cisplatin takes. 


Cisplatin 

Taxotere

Followed by 4 days of 5FU via home infusion 


I turn the TV on. Ruth Bader Ginsburg services.  Who died of Pancreatic cancer and I remind myself that I have a cancer that responds well to chemo. The 5FU helps the radiation work so I embrace this day. I embrace the FU bag I carry around with the next four days of chemo that makes the tumor receptive to radiation. I embrace the cure. 


Day goes quickly. Actually.  Got a ton of fluid. Probably five trips to the bathroom.   A lovely nurses aid offers her personal charger for me.  Someone came by and offered lunch. Unbelievable that I was able to eat a ham sandwich in the middle of chemotherapy and not want to throw up.  

Made it home by 430. The steroids give me surprising energy. I expected to sleep through the day but didn’t.  I walked around the block twice. Made dinner for the family. Had some left over beef stew myself and emptied the dishwasher. Hardest part is carrying a bag around with me.  I don’t do pocketbooks so having this is going to be tough.  Maybe it will be cool enough to wear a hoodie this week so I can throw it in my pocket.  Oh well the things we do for love. Thank God that day one is done. I am

Relieved and will be able to stop thinking eulogy and start thinking end in sight. 


Here is what my FU pump looks like.  81 more hours to go every now and then it makes a sound like a radio on the wrong channel for a second. And I keep looking around for johns scanner. 


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