Port and Chemo!!

Like I said in the last post I am done with radiation!  I got a port on monday, which according to some probably isn't a terrible procedure.  Ok ok it wasn't so bad, I just don't like not being in control of my body and having a big bandage on my collar bone for 3 days.  I will say though it was quite nice lying on the operating bed feeling so tired and just zonking out without any effort.  I was so relaxed for the rest of the day, I haven't felt that relaxed in weeks, thank you drugs!!

I always wanted to try this but have never had the opportunity until now.  When I was in recovery and since I was all hooked up to a heart monitor I wanted to test a curiosity I have had for some time.  I wanted to see if my heart rate would increase during a kiss. I asked ever so politely if Tim would kiss me and as he did, sure enough my heart rate went from the 60's to the 80's.  Ok so there were other factors too, they had given me caffeine to help wake me up because I was a little slow in waking.  However, I would like to accredit it to the kiss.

I did not go directly to my first chemo treatment after surgery in Logan, in fact I am doing treatments down at the Huntsman center in Salt Lake.  I was originally going to stay in Logan for all treatments and had everything set up for Logan.  I met with my doctor in Logan and told him I was going to stay and that we could get going with treatments.  During that visit he suggested again to get a second opinion at the Huntsman center.  I did so later that week and felt very strongly that Salt Lake is where I need to be.  There are a lot of things I have considered in making this decision, and I feel really good about it.

I had my first treatment yesterday (1/12/12).  I guess the understanding about doctors is always expect it to go longer than they told you.  I was in at 8 am and didn't get home until 12:30.  Because it was the first visit they did lab work, so they very conveniently accessed my newly implanted port and drew some blood.  Every time something goes through the port, they have to do a saline flush.  I can taste the saline in my mouth and at first it didn't bother me, but by the end started to make me a little gaggy. Yesterday they gave me two drugs separately.  The first was zomeda which is specifically designed to help my bones (update on the back brace below).  The actual infusion took about 30 min during which I watched an episode of psych, thanks to Tim who stole it from his sis ;)...let me rephrase that, thanks Steph.  Then the gross saline flush and onto the actual chemo, abraxane. This infusion took about 30-45 min, but I wasn't paying too close attention because I was trying to distract myself.  It doesn't hurt when the drug is going through the port, but I can feel that something is going in which isn't terribly comfortable.  It was nice to have my mom and Sue, my sister in law, there to talk to and take notes for me.  It is also nice staying with my sister in Salt Lake until I go back up to Logan.  Depending on how I feel, my plan is to go to treatments (on Thursday mornings) and then head back up to Logan on Friday or Saturday so I can be up for church on Sunday.  Im just going to play it by ear though.

One cycle of chemo for me goes as follows:
Once a week for 3 weeks, then one week off.
They will do 2 cycles of this before re-evaluating to see how effective it is. Keep in mind that there are dozens and dozens of chemo treatments depending on the individual diagnoses. This is what the doctors have decided specifically for me.

The side effects of abraxane are very manageable.  The most common are fatigue, alopecia (hair loss), nausea, and a foggy mind.  Whenever I think if chemo, I imagine someone throwing up all the time, lying in bed all day and not able to do much.  To contrary belief, I am told by my doctors/nurses that if this happens to me then something is wrong and I need to call because they now have medication that can fix these things.  Also that it is good to get out for 15-20 min a day and exercise.  I will be limited in my exercising abilities because I do have a back brace and pretty much all I can do now is walk.  I have built up in my mind that chemo is going to be awful and that I will be completely incapacitated for the next 4-6 months, however, I do not expect it will be as bad as I think.  You know me though, preparing for the worst possible scenario.

I met with an orthopedic doctor about my back.  The big question is, "How long will I be in this stupid thing?!"  The answer is that I will get an x-ray in one month so he can see how much it has improved.  Generally someone in this kind of brace wears it for about 3 months.  I have been in mine for just over a month, but my back has been feeling significantly better.  I'm hoping to get out of it as soon as possible, however I'll wear it as long as I need if that means protecting my back and a possible spinal chord injury. I'll keep you updated when I find out more.

So, I chopped my hair off and dyed it bleach blonde! Check out my facebook page for the pic.  It is more of a coping mechanism than anything because it will be a lot easier to say goodbye to this hair than my real hair, plus it is fun to look like a punk rocker :)

I am feeling ok now, but we'll see as the day/week progresses.  I hear that it gets worse after the first day, and by the end of the cycle, however, I am becoming a little more optimistic. I appreciate your prayers, thank you for all the generosity and kindness you have shown me and my family.  I know God is watching over you too.