Round One

Friday came quickly. That morning, I had enough time to get up, eat breakfast, get ready, and drive in to Sydney for the appointment. I was somewhat nervous, but still feeling strong and ready for the challenge.

When we arrived at the hospital, my parents and I were met by a 'chemo nurse' who escorted us down into the chemo room. There were about 10 other cancer patients recieving treatments in this room, some looking sicker than others. I felt them eye me as I walked through the room and down to the back. The nurse pointed to a chair where I was to sit and recieve treatment. It was a very comfortable recliner, which I knew would make this easier for me. The nurse did the 'usual stuff' they do to me now-- blood pressure, temperature, pulse. Everything was fine. Then she told me I was to lay my hand in a bucket of hot water (this wasn't so usual). She said this was a common procedure here used because the warm water makes the veins in the hands more visible. I lay my hand in the hot water for about five minutes and soon enough, the nurse was back with the needles she was about to poke in my hand.

Before she went digging, she offered me an Adavan to slip under my tongue (this is a drug used to relax patients). I took it, although I didn't really feel I needed it. I then felt the now-familiar feeling of the needle prick penetrating my hand. I turned my head and clenched my opposite hand. Somehow I wasn't getting better at this. And ... wait ... it didn't work. "Uh oh, dear. It went in easily but it doesn't seem to want to go through the whole way. We'll have to try a new one. Sorry." Just my luck. Don't I have enough to worry about? She held her finger on the now stinging-like-crazy needle hole in my hand. She explained that it stung because some saline from the IV got inside it. This was like pouring salt on an open wound. Ouch. She quickly moved on to another vein in the hand. This one was a success. We could now get on with what was important-- chemo.

The nurse first gave me a small bag of anti-nausea medication through the IV before she started the chemo drugs. She told me that I would need to take the pill form of this drug (Ondanesetron) at home, twice a day every 6-8 hours. The solution felt cold going in the vein, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. When this was completed, I saw the nurse coming with a new bag to hook onto the IV-- it was a bag of red colored solution that I was expecting all along. This is often called the "Red Devil" by chemo patients. I knew (by the name alone) that this was going to make my life a living hell. She hooked it up and I sat and waited for it to pump. It stung like crazy going in. Suddenly, I felt an itch going up my arm. I looked and saw blotchy red marks on the underside of my arm. Great ... more complications. I told the nurse and she said it appeared that I had sensitive skin and was probably reacting to the alcohol. She said she would haveto run some more saline solution and then give me some benadryl to ease the allergic reaction. This added yet another 30 minutes or so onto my already painful ordeal. When this was completed, she finished the red devil for a few minutes and followed it by the dose of Cytoxin for 40 minutes. As time went by, the stinging eased and I became groggy from the benadryl. Soon it was time to head home.

I had no idea what to expect.