All Pinked Out

Once you have completed the first four doses of killer chemo, you can move on to the next 4 treatments of not quite as toxic a mixture of drugs. Sort of like on a game show. Rounds #5 and #6 were approx. 5 hours each and were given on consecutive days. The nurse gives the three hour dose and then observes you for a couple of hours or more to make sure you have not had any serious reactions, or have fallen out of the chair(keep reading). And do they wonder why people are so anxious when the CC staff advise you of this just before they get the bag running? Sort of like the warden and his staff putting you into the electric chair and then as an aside they say that this might kill you.

The Baxter Bags(let us call them BB’s from now on) contain Herceptin, and Taxol for the next 3 rounds and it takes 6 hours each chemo session for them to run.That is 3 very long visits for Senor Poodela to be sitting in a chair of the armless type that might be found in a bingo hall, or the UI office. Senor Poodela is the Grand Standard size so it is pretty uncomfortable for him. But I am not that empathetic that I am willing to trade chairs.I do not think that the staff at the CC would allow it. There is no fooling around in the treatment room as the staff and volunteers appear to be taking this cancer thing seriously. Back to the new drugs. The Herceptin doesn’t do much… Chills, fever, rash, weakness, joint and muscle pain. I think that this is the one that causes finger nails to fall off, but I am easily confused these days.The Taxol induces flushing, a rash, itching, dizziness, damage to peripheral nerve endings. You are warned not to handle things that are sharp, hot or very cold. I think this means that I have to stop washing the pots and pans and other domestic duties which expose my hands to hot or cold water. More good news!The bonus with the new series of drugs is that you no longer experience the severe nausea. The BB once again received a booster shot. The Taxol bag was topped up with Benedryl.You are warned/cautioned that you better not be getting out of the chair on your own and start crashing about with the IV pole. When the nurse was asking me questions my mouth felt like I had balls and balls of cotton batting in it, and then suddenly I was out cold for a couple of hours. Why didn’t you tell me about this stuff in the 60’s ? I don’t know if I mentioned that I had this terrible reoccurring pain in my chest like someone was sitting on my breastbone. I have been advised that I now suffer from heartburn as the chemo drugs do some serious damage to the old esophagus. I, with my famous Poodela stomach, had no idea what heartburn was ,and I spent many a sleepless night prior to diagnosis focusing on yet another additional health problem.

The good news is that I have spotted a couple of hairs returning. Of course one is smack dab in the middle of my upper lip and the other is at least four inches growing out of the side of my chin. There is a dream come true.

Senor Poodela ordered a pair of jeans from LL Bean so it is officially winter/Christmas here in Victoria.