Kicking Cancer's A**, Part One

The First Chemo Treatment
(WARNING: If I get frustrated with my condition in the future, the gloves will come off and I won't euphemize the word "A**.")


I visited with my oncologist a few days before my first scheduled treatment. Here's a synopsis of what I learned: I will have a total of eight chemotherapy treatments spread over 24 weeks. The protocol is called "ACT," which consists of four treatments of adriamycin (A) plus cytoxan (C), and then four treatments of taxotere (T). Then surgery, then radiation. Based on where we are after all that, maybe more chemo. I'm going for...NOT.


I spent a good deal of time with the nurse going over exactly what would happen, side effects I might have, etc. The list of side effects is pretty wide-ranging, including:

• Fatigue
• Hair loss (all body hair falls out over approximately a 48-hour period, 2 - 3 weeks after first treatment. YOW!)
• Nausea
• Lowered blood counts (risk of infection)
• Menopause
• Diarrhea, constipation, heartburn
• Bladder irritation
• Taste/smell changes
• Nose sores, mouth sores
• Dry skin and nails

I left the office that day with prescriptions for (a) an anti-nausea tablet called compazine and (b) a wig (because insurance will pay for all or part of a wig). Do you think I should get a wig? At first I was not going to, because I noticed that most of the younger patients I've seen at the cancer center just wear hats. But then the practical side of me kicked in, and thought it might be fun to get a super-long blond wig a'la Kim Zolciak. Heck, I might even get use out of that AFTER cancer.


My appointment for chemo was just a few days later. I was SO nervous. First, my husband and I got settled in our "suite," which consisted of a small room and a bathroom shared with the next suite. There was an awesome chair, kind of like the special pedicure chairs at the nail salon. A TV with movies, shows and games. And we were invited to help ourselves to sandwiches, snacks and drinks in a nearby room. God bless the hospital for making things so comfy. 


I was especially anxious about getting the IV. The oncologist and I had agreed that if my veins were problematic in this process, I would have to get a mediport in my chest. The problem was, my veins HAD been uncooperative in recent months, after a number of unrelated health issues and hospital stays. Like the rest of us, they can only take so much! The best hint I'd gotten was to be very well-hydrated at IV time. So believe you me, I was JUICED. 


The nurse gave me an ativan (for anxiety and also used for nausea) before getting started. She asked me what my biggest fear is about "all this." I replied, "that it won't work." I figured that's probably what everyone says, but to the contrary most folks initially most fear losing their hair. I can deal with the hair issue -- I can deal with just about anything, as long as the treatment works as expected. I've got a lot of years left to live.


Then starting the IV -- hooray, she got it on the second try! After an IV flush with saline (to make sure it would hold up), I got a drip of aloxi (anti-nausea) before the chemo meds. Then the adriamycin. Three very large syringes of it, injected into the IV line bit by bit. They have to watch this one closely, because if for some reason it drips on the skin, it can burn the skin and leave serious damage. The other fun fact about it is that it goes in red, and comes OUT red. I'm glad they told me ahead of time. ;) Next I got the cytoxan, which goes in pretty slowly. The nurse warned me that I might get funny sensations in my nose with this one, and I did get them about ten minutes in. It was a burning feeling that was a little uncomfortable, but not a big deal. Then the cytoxan bag was empty, and I got the last infusion -- dexamethasone (a cortisone), for (GUESS WHAT?) preventing nausea.


All in all, this process took about three hours. It really wasn't that unpleasant, other than the couple of times I looked at the IV line and realized it was putting poison in my body. All for a good cause, though, all for a good cause. Plus, I ended up getting chemo and Oreos on the same day!


NEXT ENTRY: The First Week Post-Chemo