Chemo - First try

VICTORIOUS! Miracle of miracles, today went very very well.  Praise the Lord!  Thank you thank you thank you for all of the prayers, texts, emails, and calls of support.  I am so well loved.

We got to the office at 8:30, got blood work done, went back to a different room, spoke to a RN that answered some questions for us, then on to the chemo room.  The fishhook went into my port around quarter to 10.  They started with some anti-nausea medicine, benedryl, and anti-anxiety medicine, which took about a half hour to get in.  The next 5ish hours was getting the first chemo drug in, Rituxin.  I had a minor reaction to it (itchy skin, red cheeks, closing ariway) so they gave me more bendryll and we took a break for a while.  The rest of the rituxin was fine going in, as were the remaining 4 drugs.  The worst part of the day was taking 2 of the most bitter disgusting pills on the planet - not bad for a day in the cancer ward.  The best part of the day was my nurse Rebecca - she was so wonderful and made me feel completely taken care of.  She answered all of my questions and spent time tucking in my feet with blanket, perfect.  I spent the first two hours sleeping, the next few watching shows on hulu, and the last bit talking with Danny and Rebecca.  We were finally done around 6:30.

Danny and I stopped by Earthfare on the way home to pick up some items to help me get through the next few weeks.  Now I'm sitting on the couch, watching Downton Abbey, and sadly waiting for the sickness to come.  I feel ok, but my head is heavy and medicine-y and I'm feeling very strange.  I'm hoping my many anti-nausea pills will keep it at bay.  My nurse said that I should be prepared for the worse because since I'm young, female, and have motion sickness I'm already pre-disposed to sickness.  I'm just so grateful that this day hasn't been tainted by it - it's one more day well and in high spirits than I originally thought I would get.  

Update at 3:30am - I started feeling sick around 11pm.  I went from ok and strange straight to wet throw up mouth and tears.  I took some medicine which is this gel you put on your wrists, which helped a lot.  I fell alseep but woke up around 3:15.  I still have steriods in my system, so I think their trying to keep me awake.  my stomach is ok, but I just took another medicine for nausea and eating to 4 almonds required to help the medicine agree with my stomach was torture.  Even reading what I wrote about yesterday makes me nauseated.  I have a feeling this is the beginning of a rough few days.