One down...

Hello everyone:

I had my first chemo treatment on Thursday the 15th.  So far, so good.  I started out getting blood drawn to test levels to make sure that I was healthy enough for chemo.  Then I met with my oncologist.  Then I went back to the chemo lab.  I had a wonderful nurse who was very kind to me. I had great company, my mom, and there was lots to read and do while I was treated.  They even gave me a sandwich and something to drink!  This drug trial that I am participating in had 4 "arms" that I could be randomized into- God was looking out for me and I got into the arm that I think is perfect for me.  It takes longer, but it is more aggressive and more evenly dosed which will hopefully make it easier to tolerate.  This is what my weekly schedule looks like:
Thursday- chemo day.  I go to the hospital and get blood drawn from my port.  I wait an hour and then I see the oncologist, then I get clearance and go to the chemo lab.  I get a cocktail of antibiotics, anti-nausea and benedryl pushed into my port.  Then I get Adriamycin (the chemo drug) pushed into my port.  The whole process takes about 2 hours, and hen I go home.   Once home I then take an anti-nausea (zofran) pill a half hour before bed, and then I take 2 cytoxin (a chemo drug in pill form) before bed.
Friday and Saturday- I take zofran half hour before breakfast, then another at 3 pm.  Sometime in the afternoon I give myself an injection of neupogen (a drug that helps my white cells stay up).  Then an antinausia (zofran) pill a half hour before bed, and then I take 2 cytoxin (a chemo drug in pill form) before bed.
Sunday and Monday- same as Friday or Saturday, but I also take an antibiotic each day.
Tuesday and Wednesday- same as Friday and Saturday.

Good thing I have a calendar with all this written down.  It is a lot but hopefully I will be able to tolerate this a bit better.

As for my treatment schedule, this is what the plan is:
I have 14 more weeks of Chemo following the schedule above, then I get two weeks off (last week of Oct and first week of Nov- just in time to go to vegas for SEMA- luckily I won't stick out in the crowd too much with my bald head and port, as it is vegas...)
Then, the second week of November I start another 13 weeks of chemo on a different schedule.  This will take me through February.  After that I will have 4-6 weeks of radiation.  Finally, I will have two more surgeries.  I anticipate being done July 2011.  Again, I have a long road ahead of me, but with support from wonderful friends and family, I will be be just fine.  I really feel this week that God has told me that I just need to get through this year, and I will be ok. I truly believe that.

On a family note, I am looking forward to the combined birhtday party tomorrow afternoon for James and Katie!!!!  Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor here we come!!!!