We planned to be there around 8 am but traffic was so bad! We went a different route, which was beautiful. We were passing by all these old but updated houses in the city with big trees and gorgeous landscaping. One day, it's my goal to have a small old house in the city and fix it up. That will be fun. (I love HGTV, can you tell?)
We thought we didn't have to do labs because of my visit to the clinic a few days previous, but the person that told us we didn't have to on the phone was wrong. I had to get labs.
Then I met with the nurse, NP, and my Dr. They were telling me that all my symptoms seemed to allign with my treatment, gave me tips for the aches, constipation, and told me how to get my calorie intake up. The NP even told me to try to exercise every day!
I was concerned with my intense flu like symptoms right after Chemo the first time. Dr. said it's very likely that that was the first reaction my body had to the tumor being broken up. He said I may respond better now.
He was right! Getting chemotherapy this time around was a lot more relaxed, quicker, and I felt more experienced. My nurse kept talking about how she thought I needed a port. When medical people tell me things, I really take it to heart because I don't know diddly about medical stuff! So I'm all worried now that my veins are going to blow up or something because I didn't get a port placed.
This is what one looks like and they insert it under your skin and the "straw" looking thing is hooked into one of your main arteries in your neck. When you go to get blood work done or Chemo, they just poke in your skin to get to that main round area on the port and presto! They're in.
What I've heard is that it's really bothersome, can get infected, but you don't have the medicine burning like it does going into an arm vein. I'm thinking it's a lot more convenient for the nurses so maybe that's why she was pushing me that way.
I just would like to stay away from any other surgeries for a while if I can. They say it's a pretty easy one where you don't have to be fully under. I'm going to talk to my doctor about it next time.
Back to Chemo- On the ride home, I started to get really cold and I thought to myself "oh no! not this again!" But I didn't get the shakes and the hot flashes. I was really tired and out of it pretty fast. I was hungry (good sign because last time I didn't really eat for 3 days) so I had lunch and went to bed. I reacted a lot better this round, it was so much more manageable. I'm learning to not overdo it when I feel ok because then ten minutes later I'm feeling gross again. The nausea and stomach aches seemed a little worse, but I have medicine for the nausea I'm always taking and it kept that at bay. The achy shoulders and arms came back 3-4 days after chemo and my back is starting to be achy too. Thank goodness for pain medication and for modern medicine in general. I mean, I probably would have had a watermelon in my chest before they found it 30 years ago! haha.
My mom was here all week, I had friends that brought meals to me, mowed my lawn, brought sweet notes and gifts, kept me company, and helped with my kids. I really am so grateful for the hearts people have---it's not easy to think about someone else when you have a crazy life and kids of your own, but my friends cease to amaze me. Thank you.
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