My treatment plan...

frodolass said:

First chemo treatment

Well, I completed my first chemo treatment today. It was a bit of a disppointment.

They took me back to do vitals and gave me three "tubes" for blood. I was to take the tubes to the chemo room and wait to have my blood drawn. I got directions to the chemo room. I walked in and was surprised to see this relatively small room filled with a couple dozen people sitting in chairs hooked up to IVs. There is no privacy. You're not allowed to bring a family member with you because of "flu" concerns. My opinion is they don't allow it because there is literally no room for anyone else. The chairs are jammed together. I now know everything there is to know about my neighbors, and they about me. They kept me waiting two hours to just draw my blood. When we finally got started on the four hour treatment, I had to wait long periods waiting for the nurse to come change the drugs to the next one.

Maybe this is the way it is everywhere? I'm unhappy with the situation, but really have no choice in the matter, so I'll have to grin and bear it. I'm sure that the treatment itself is effective, it's just not very comfortable or supportive.

Anyway, the insurance finally agreed to pay most of the PET scan (yay!), so I go for that tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't get sick during it, lol.

Thank you again for your concern and support. It means a lot to me and I appreciate your knowledge.

Donna

Hi Donna:

   I am sorry to hear that you were disappointed through your first chemo treatment.  I know the pre-medication does take about an hour before the chemo nurses administer the first of the chemo drugs. I know I was at the chemo room from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. so it was just about the entire day and sometimes I did not leave until 4:45 or so. One time I remember getting to the chemo room around 10:30, but that was because my oncologist was backed up with his patients.  So it really is a long day.

  The chemo room was very pleasant and very comfortable. If you got there early enough I took the end chair near the window so I could look out. The nurses were great and very comforting and accommodating. Your right, there is No privacy in the chemo room as there are other patients around you, but they do have a curtain that they can pull around you should the nurses need to do something at least at the cancer center where I had my treatments.  I did stop in to see the chemo nurses even after my chemo treatments were over with as they had asked me to stop by to see how I was doing. I had my chemo treatments done in the suburbs of Delaware County, PA about 10 to 15 minutes from where I live and my oncologist is the floor below from where I had the chemo treatments so it was very, very convenient for me.

  I also had a Neulasta shot and blood transfusion after my 5th treatment as my platelets were very, very low and it helped me tremedously after I had the shot ad the transfusion as I started to feel much stronger.

  I always had someone with me during all my chemo treatments - my close girlfriend was there for my 1st treatment and my Mom came for my other 5 treatments and my son was there along with my Mom for about 3 of my remaining treatments as at that time my son had just completed his junior year in high school.  I also brought a book with me and I also enjoy doing Word Search puzzles a lot so I did quite a few of them when I was there.

  Plus they did provide lunch there and the first treatment they had a Phillies theme and I won a chemo Phillies cup which I still use as I started having green tea before I was diagnosed with cancer and still use the cup at dinner time.

  Also, the chemo nurses did do a song for me and also used a tambourine at my last chemo treatment wishing me well and sending me off (it was really cute and so nice) and I was so glad when the chemo was all over with - I started in mid April of 2011 and ended my chemo the last day of August of 2011.

  For me, one of the hardest things going through the chemo was losing your hair, I knew it was temporary and that it would eventually grow back which it did, but it is not the same consistency as it once was, although now I get my hair cut every 3 months rather than every 2 months and I get a bang cut every month as my bangs grow quickly. I have a very classic cut the bob and now I like it shorter than I used to have it as it is not as bulky as I had my hair before having chemo. But I like my haircut a lot and it is very easy to take care of. Also, getting constipated was not pleasant either and I bought some over the counter tablets to help with that also. I had very little side effects going through chemo so that was really, really good and I felt very fortunate compared to what it could have been.

  I hope you make out well with your remaining treatments. Just remember, the chemo will help to get rid of any stray and remaining cells and it definitely is worth it as it will save your life so good luck going through the rest of your treatments and hope you fare out much better with the remainder of your treatments.

Cheerful

a/k/a Jane

I was diagnosed with Stage IIIc1 endometrial carcinoma in August. I had a hysterectomy and am now undergoing chemo. The plan is chemo every 3 weeks for 9 weeks, radiation for 4-6 weeks, and another 9 week round of chemo. I am on Taxol and Carboplatin. So far, so good. My legs are bothering me, but I have had no nausea. Because I am 36, I often wonder if my system will be messed up for life..but I guess that is just how the cookie crumbles. I have been documenting my journey on my blog at http://rebelcupcake.wordpress.com It sounds like everything is normal. Of course, how normal is cancer anyway?

frodolass said:

Update

Hi!

Finishing up my 3rd week of chemo (Cisplatin) and radiation therapy. Doing really well. No significant nausea, no hair loss...yet. Three more treatments with Cisplatin (once a week), and I'll switch to Taxol/Carbo every three weeks for 4-6 treatments. I've got about 18 more pelvic radiation treatments, then I'll have three of the brachytherapy ones. Yuck!

I hated the first couple of chemo treatments, but have come to enjoy the camaraderie of the other folks I see there every week.

Finally got the PET scan. It was clear except for something glowy in the area where the lymph node was removed where there is a lymphocele. They *think* it's some infection or something left over from the surgery, but don't know for sure. I'll get another scan in a few months.

Thanks again for all the great information and support.

Donna

 

Hi Donna:

  Glad to hear that you are doing well going through your chemo.  I did not have pelvic radiation treatments, just the brachytherapy three rounds of it. But good luck with your remaining treatments.  

  It is a hard thing to go through chemo, I had carboplatin and taxol, but just think you are doing everything you can to fight UPSC and hopefully you will keep this beast at bay and won't have a reoccurrence down the road.  Especially you do feel tired the next day I did so I just rested.  Do you have much of an appetite after chemo? The first 2 days you will eat regularly, then the next few days I could only eat 2 meals a day for a few days then I went back to eating regularly.

  I did have 3 cat scans the first year when I was diagnosed.  I started my treatments in mid April and finished with chemo the very end of August and then started 3 brachytherapy treatments the end of Sept. and finished in mid October of 2011.  

  I lost my hair after the first chemo treatment of carboplatin/taxol almost 2 weeks later.  I then started wearing my wig and wore it for about 11 months then my hair was growing in and by October of 2012 I had my first haircut.  My hair had grown long down to my shoulder in the back and I had it cut off to a one length bob. I keep my hair shorter now as I my hair is thick like it was before chemo, but the consistency of my hair changed after it grew back.

  Anyway, good luck with the rest of your treatments and keep us ladies here posted.

  Also, thanks for your wishes for my 2 year anniversary of remaining with No evidence of disease - I just hope it will remain that way for now and for the future. We do have to enjoy each and every day that we have that is my motto as we don't know what is down the road for us - but try and think good thoughts and have a positive attitude as well that will really help you going through treatments.  Also, it really helps to have support from your family and friends when going through chemo. I received a lot of Get Well cards from them when I was going through chemo and it really helped me a lot and also received a few gifts from family and friends.

Cheerful

a/k/a Jane