Cycle one

They called the first week in the hospital the "honeymoon". This is the time when I got to know all of the friendly faces, the procedures and routines and how to care for myself during the off week. It's also the honeymoon because the body doesn't react to all the chemo and radiation until late in the week and when you return home. Then, the honeymoon is over. I'm not agonizing now (Saturday), but it does not feel like a honeymoon.

I completed the hospital stay of cycle one this past week from Sunday to Friday. During my stay I was given three different chemotherapy drugs and had radiation treatments twice a day.  On Sunday evening, the nurse prepared my double power port with two catheters in order to infuse the first drug 5-FU (aka Fluorouracil). This drug was infused the entire time I was in the hospital. Unfortunately, last week my scans revealed a small clot near my port and the doctor on call decided not to use the port for the infusion. So, they started an IV in my left arm. On Monday, however, when I met with my regular oncologist, it was decided to go ahead and use the port for the infusions and to treat the clot with a blood thinning drug which I am to administer to myself twice daily by injection until my port is taken out. A small bump in the road. Also, on Monday, I was given the second chemo drug Taxol (aka Paclitaxel) by infusion. This drug is only given to me on Mondays of my hospital stay. Lastly, I am given a drug called Hydrea by pill twice a day. The first pill given two hours before my first radiation treatment, the second twelve hours later. All three of these drugs have a long list of side effects. The most common are low blood counts, fatigue, mouth sores, hair loss (not a problem - not much left) and poor appetite.

Radiation was an interesting experience. In the mornings and the afternoons, I am picked up by a nice person whose job it is to make sure I get to where I need to go.  We take an elevator from the 6th floor all the way down past the basement to the sub-basement of the hospital. There we walk through many different long corridors, turning, pushing buttons to open doors, a left then a right. Good thing I have my guide. After 10 trips back and forth, I still don't know where I'm going. When we arrive, I sit and wait to be called. A few minutes later, I go into a radiation room and prepare for my treatment.  I must lie down on a board with my head and shoulders in the cast that was made for me. Then, I am adjusted. "Scoot up a little. Chin up. Move your shoulders to the left. OK, lie still, here comes the mask." I appreciate how meticulous and precise these people are. They must position my body perfectly before the radiation treatments.  The mask is then clamped down over my face. It is a bit uncomfortable at first, but I've gotten used to it. The radiation treatment lasts about 20-30 minutes and there are 16 different radiation fields for my treatment.

The effects from the radiation treatment and the chemo are beginning.  I can still eat, however, I don't have much of an appetite. I am told to think of eating as taking medicine.  Eat as much as I can, at least 2500 calories per day.  My new mantra is "proteins and calories". 

Now, I am back at home to recover from what was done to me throughout the week. My radiologist told me yesterday that they slapped me and I won't feel it until this week. I was given quite a welcoming party. Karla, Jake and Jess had signs up on the walls and I was greeted with their very big happy smiles. That's the best medicine.

I'll be busy this week taking care of myself. I have quite a regimen to follow, including putting on lotions, lip balm, giving myself shots, tongue and mouth excercises and figuring out my meals. Whatever I must do, I will do and I will enjoy this temporary reprieve until I return to the hospital a week from Sunday, September 12th.  By the way, each fish above represents one week of my treatment. I removed one. Nine remain!