First day of chemo

 I forgot to add some details for tomorrow on my earlier post. I have my first round of infusions Monday, November 16th. I’ll be going in at 7:30am to meet first with my oncologist and do bloodwork. Then I’ll have 5 hours of infusions. My full day at the hospital will likely be 6-7 hours. They start with anti-nausea drugs and other meds to combat side effects and make the chemo more tolerable. Then they move on to the two chemo drugs(docetaxel and carboplatin) and two targeted therapies (herceptin and perjeta). It sounds like they do them in succession one at a time. A side effect of the docetaxel is neuropathy of the hands and feet, so they recommend icing my hands and feet while this is being delivered. My understanding is that the ice restricts the blood flow to those areas, therefore limiting the amount of chemo delivered there. Some people will also do cold capping, which is icing their head to try to keep their hair a little longer. We all know I have a beautiful bald head, so I ain’t gonna waste my time with that!

Other than that I’ll just be sitting in a recliner hooked up to the infusion machine. The cocktail of drugs could make me a little drowsy, so I’m planning to nap and rest, watch Netflix and listen to audio books. I’d love for you all to send me Marco polos of the fun things you have going. What your kids are doing, a life update and what projects you have going on. I’ll even take knock knock just to see your beautiful faces. It will feel like you’re visiting with me even though I have to go it alone due to covid. I probably won’t be able to respond because I’ll be in a big room with other patients receiving treatment. I’ve heard it’s rude to talk on your phone during infusions. So far, I’m feeling hopeful and prepared. We’ll see what tomorrow and chemo brings. 

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