National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.

Hey!

Well I am back! I was very lucky to not have any side effects from the chemo yet. I just saw that I had 3 comments urging me to get my prescriptions filled and ,well OK I had them filled, so not to worry.

In case you are wondering how it all went it was not bad at all. My mother and I went to the St. Luke's Roosevelt on Thursday, April 9th and upon our 8:30 am arrival checked in and went straight to the Infusion Suite. Surprisingly, there was already one women in there she was a bit older maybe 50-55 and she was already receiving ..SOMETHING intravenously and enjoying a cup of yogurt. The suite was bare and we chose a reclining chair in a quiet corner. It wasn't long before Kaitoirina (sp?) my nurse came over to explain the process of my chemo and the fact that it would take 1 1/2- 2 hours or so.

Initially, I had an IV drip of water (saline sol to flush out my system and make my body ready for the 2 drugs I was to receive. Based on the fact that I had been pricked with needles (3) this week from the PET CT, MRI( which I forgot to write about) and my MUGA tests the veins in my left arm were no good. After the first drug of Doxorubicin was administered it started to feel warmer than it should going up my veins and I got a pink itchy feel on my forearm, so the nurse had to stop. She had only gotten through the first injection. They called my doctor and found that they could administer it through my right arm which is the side where the breast cancer is. However, since I have not had any lymph nodes surgically removed it was OK.

Soon after my second drug of Cyclophosphamide was given through an IV and before I knew it , it was all over. I took a few pics in the beginning that I will post in a photo album elsewhere on the site. My mother waited with me for most of it, and the times she was away I read Vogue Magazine. I nt the itnerim a hand massage was offered to me by a therapist which was great! She rubbed my hands with soy cream nd left me with a calender of support groups and Wellness Programs. Free aerobics classes, Reiki etc. are offered throughout the month every month, this is all very, very encouraging.

My session ended with a shot of Lupron which will stop my eggs from being released every month! No more period..YAYYY. No not really, I do not want this to be permanent, so lets pray that when the time to come off Lupron comes my eggs will flow again nice & healthy like.

So, in a nutshell that is it! The whole experience was pleasant..NEW but pleasant.
I 'll be ready to go back in 2 weeks! FYI the Lupron shot into my butt! Um..this really "IS" NEW to me!