Round 1 of Chemo

Going into all of this I really didn't know what to expect. I figured that my doctor's and nurses knew what was going to happen, but even though I knew that, I was still pretty unsure.

I arrived at Dr. Domke's office on Monday morning to get "hooked up" to my pump. The pump consists of a small machine that is hooked up to an IV bag filled with chemotherapy. The pumps purpose is to continuously give me chemotherapy over the entire chemo week. One of my dual pumps is accessed by a needle with something that looks like a butterfly on the end of it. The needle is connected to a long tube that goes under my clothes and the tube goes into what looks like a large fanny pack that has a long strap on it that I can carry. When connected, I have to carry the pump everywhere. And I do mean EVERYWHERE! Have to go to the bathroom? Here I go with the pump! Shower, yeah right - can't get the pump wet, so it's sponge bath time! Sleeping? Try doing it with something that sounds like it is taking your picture every couple minutes! Things get pretty interesting!

Anywho, I got connected to the pump with no problem and left the doctor's office. The next day, I had to go to the hospital location because my Oncologist splits his time between the hospital and his own personal office. So I went to the hospital on Tuesday and had to get the extra chemotherapy. On this day, they accessed my other port with another butterfly needle thingy with another tube connected to it. Through that tube, they hooked me up to an IV and gave me anti-nauseau medicine. They also have to give me these shots to be sure that my lines are clean and to prevent any blood clots. Man do those shots taste nasty!! From what I gather, not everyone can taste the medicine when it is injected. Another way that I am just lucky I guess! When you get the shot it actually tastes like you are chewing on plastic wrap that is trying to dissolve in your mouth. Pretty gross.

The medicine I get on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday consist of the anti-nauseau medicine, and then two syringes full of this "red stuff". One of the nurses at the hospital called in the Ruby Sisters, which I thought was cute too. Not really sure what each of my chemo meds is supposed to do or what the difference between the two is, I just provide the vein for the meds to go into. Have the syringes have been emptied into my system, I then get hooked up to a bag that is dripped into the IV that contains more chemotherapy.

Each of these sessions take between 2 and 3 hours. After I'm done I am usually feeling pretty good, but within a couple of hours, I am dead tired. 3pm seems to be nap time during chemo week. On Friday, I had to go back to the hospital to get a Neulasta shot. This shot gets put into my arm and is supposed to increase the production of white blood cells in my system. I need the blood cells so I don't get a infection, etc. but the chemo doesn't know the difference between good cells and bad and tends to kill them off.

Stay tuned for the week after chemo!

Purpose of the Port

As you can see in the pictures I've added, the port looks like a dual drum that the nurses at the oncology clinic can access for my chemo. Dr. Mikkelson made an incision right under my clavicle and made a pocket in the skin. She placed the dual port in the pocket and then had to make another incision that went deeper under the tissue to find a vein. She then threaded the cord that is attached to the port, through my vein so that the chemotherapy can go directly into my blood stream. This is also how I will have any blood drawn over the next couple of months of treatment.

I absolutely love the port. Although it looks pretty nasty, it saves my arms from getting poked and proded all the time. The best thing about it, is that it comes with a numbing cream that I can put on an hour before I get stuck, so I don't feel a thing. Ah, the marvels of modern science!

Surgery

So the nurse decided that she would let the pre-surgical nurses put my IV in. Obviously, after what she had just done, that was a good idea. Around 12:00 my transport came and after saying goodbye to my parents I was wheeled into the pre-op room. As I was waiting in the room I couldn't help but think, "Wow, didn't think I would be here this soon." For those of you who didn't know, at the beginning of May I had knee surgery to remove a torn meniscus. Sitting in the pre-op room again, was a little annoying, but I knew it was just the beginning.

The nurse came over and after a couple minutes, was able to get my IV started. HALELUEAH! A couple minutes later, my sleepy doctor came in to tell me what to expect, and the entire time I was thinking, "yeah, yeah, yeah, already heard this last month." When I told him I understood, he walked away and asked the nurses at the nursing station if they had any new magazines. That made me feel REEEALLLYYY GOOD!

A couple minutes later, Dr. Mikkelson came in to just go over the surgery. She said it wouldn't take too long, so we were going to get started. I got wheeled in, and moved on to the cold operating table and the last thing I remeber is asking the sleepy doctor if he found a new magazine. His answer thankfully...."No."

Now get this, I don't care what the doctor says or who they say it to, but I WOKE UP DURING SURGERY! I opened my eyes and saw the table over my head with the blue curtain. Seriously, maybe he was reading a magazine!!!

Next thing I know, I'm being woken up after the surgery is done in the operating room. They move me over to another table and tell me that they are going to sit me up and that I'm going to need to take a deep breath so they can get an X-ray to make sure the surgeon didn't knick my lung when putting the port in. Do you know how hard it is to take a deep breath. All I could do was cough. Not only did I just have a tube down my throat, but I just woke up out of a deep sleep. Who do you think I am??

Anywho, the Dr. got the X-ray and everything looked great. I got wheeled back to my room and no sooner did they put me in the room, than a tornado warning went into effect and I had to get wheeled back OUT of my room into the hallway with all of the other patients. That is where my parents found me. Boy was that fun! Stupid weather!