I had a difficult time falling asleep the night before. I was instructed to start taking Dexamethasone (a steroid) the day before, day of and day after chemo. This helps prevent allergic reactions, increase appetite and prevent nausea. It can also interfere with sleep. Combined with the anticipation of chemotherapy it was about 3:00 a.m. before I fell asleep.
We arrived at the cancer center at 9:30. I was promptly escorted to a roomy cubicle with a view of a koi pond and picnic area. I settled into the recliner with my large bag of books, knitting, and laptop. My husband got the not so comfy chair. There are some benefits to being the gal with cancer. A very kind nurse began to hook up all of the tubing to my port that was required for the treatment. I was given an injection of an anti-nausea drug that supposedly lasts for three days. Then had to wait 1/2 hour before starting the first chemo drug, Taxotere. The Taxotere infusion lasted for about an hour, then the nurse started the Cytoxan. Each new drug caused a slight bit of anxiety as I went on high alert for any side effects. I really never felt a thing.
I can't say enough about the wonderful staff at the cancer center at Woodland in Brighton. I spent many hours in the not so comfy chair when I was there with my uncle a few years ago. The nurses are so kind, patient and knowledgeable. One of the nurses remembered my uncle and was so sorry to see me sitting in that recliner. They explained everything as the day went on, brought me warm blankets and gave me advice about what I might expect in the next few days.
I was finished and we were headed out the door at 1:30. It all went much easier than I expected. I was exhausted, but I insisted that my husband stop by the local yarn shop so that I could partake in some retail therapy before going home. I bought seven skeins of lovely blue yarn to make a sweater for someone I know with beautiful blue eyes who takes such good care of me.
I took a nap when we got home, ate dinner, then stayed up and watched some t.v. I went to bed thinking, "that wasn't so bad after all." One of the nurses suggested a dose of ativan at bedtime even if I didn't need it for nausea as it would help me sleep. I slept and woke up feeling fairly well. I had to return to the cancer center in the afternoon to receive an injection of Neulasta, a very expensive drug that causes your white blood cell production to go into overdrive. The chemotherapy lowers your immune system causing your white blood cell count to drop, making you prone to infections. By the time we got home I was feeling very tired and needed a long nap.
This is where things started to feel shitty. Food began to take on a taste sort of like a bad tin can, a cat food can that has not been washed out. I felt tired in a way that I cannot fully explain. I just wanted to lay down and never get up. I went to bed early, and woke up feeling like I had been hit by the chemo truck. One of the effects of the Neulasta is extreme pain in your bones due to the fact that your bone marrow is suddenly put on overtime cranking out those white blood cells. I tried relieving the aching in my legs and hips with aceteminophen, but finally took a vicodin later in the day which helped considerably. I laid on the couch or in bed all day as the fatigue increased, and by dinnertime I could hardly sit up in my chair. I went to bed, took another vicodin and atrivan slept about five hours.
Today I feel like every ounce of energy I ever had has been sucked out of me. I took a shower and tried to sit up for a while, but I had to come back to bed. It was all I could do to climb the stairs. I hurt, I am exhausted, and I am very weepy. This is like the worst flu, plus a hangover, plus the week I spent walking around the French Quarter in New Orleans until I thought I could not walk one more step.
One cycle down, three more to go.
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