Chemo 1: Almost Done.

Well, I went with mom for Chemo 1 yesterday. First of all, let me just tell you that she had a mediport placed last Monday. 2 days later: let's use it for chemo! I've got pics. It's not...pretty. It's quite functional, but it's not pretty. I didn't go with her for that---and when she told me "a central line," I pictured it...differently. I pictured a triple lumen catheter, but no, it's a mediport, under her skin.

Went for chemo yesterday. Before chemo, they infuse anti-nausea meds, & then start chemo drug 1, which infuses through a bag. Chemo drug 2 gets manually pushed through a syringe (medium-sized-syringe, not super-scary-looking, and it gets pushed slowly) after chemo drug 1 is completed. Chemo drug 3 is then added to the regimen, by way of a pump that slowly administers the drug over 46 hours. The pump? She gets to wear it in a super-attractive fanny pack. {What's up? That's right: a fanny pack. Jealous much???} About that fanny pack: we're sooooo going to have to seek an alternative to THAT.

How's mom doing???
Well, she's tired.
The hypersensitivity to cold---oh, it's on. She described it as a "shocky" feeling. Granite countertops? Can't touch them. Soda cans? Can't touch those either. It's not an overwhelming thing, or it hasn't seemed to be so far...but VERY WEIRD.
Nausea & Vomiting? Nope. We may not necessarily be out of the woods on that side effect just yet----but it hasn't started yet either...so that's a good thing, right??? She's on this drug that we call "the wonder drug." Why do we call it that? Well, apparently it's just good for what-ails-ya. Instead of treating nausea & vomiting after the fact, you take it to target that part of your brain that tells you that you are nauseated. Hmmmm. Scientists are so smart! Oh, and it's used for treating Schizophrenia too. See where the whole 'good for what-ails-ya' comes in? Nausea AND Schizophrenia!? It's a wonder drug! {Now, just think of all that we could do for mental health in this country if we could just convince the powers that be to slip this stuff into the water supply! Not only that, we could prevent nausea nation-wide. I'm a genius, I tell you---a genius!}

Any how.... Mom's doing well with her chemo so far. Her fingertips get cold & shocky...but not to fret: she's got some super-comfy-&-warm gloves. They happen to be cute too.

What else??? After chemo we went to the wig shop. I've got some pictures from yesterday to upload & share with you all soon.... After that, it was back to Mom's house. We had butter beans for dinner, and yummy chocolate cake. I climbed up into my mom's bed in the six o'clock hour, and was fast asleep during the eight o'clock hour. There is just something about being there, with her, under her roof...oh, it just makes me sleep better. Like I'm somehow aware of the fact that I'm in an environment where I don't have to BE the grown up. I'm the kid. I can just SLEEP. And so I did.

...until 4:30 this morning, when I woke up, afraid that I'd overslept! Mom lives 2 hours away from me, and I had to shower, drive home, & get ready for work....and then BE at work at noon today.
That's what I did....I had plenty of time.
Got up early...showered there...had a cup of coffee, and hit the road. 2 hours home in the freezy-rain. Not ideal, but necessary. I even had time to unload the dishwasher, reload & run the dishwasher, kind-of make the bed, sort the laundry & wash two loads of laundry---all before leaving the house to head to work. I'm pretty frickin' amazed at myself sometimes!

And so I'll close: a great time was NOT had by all. Though their were laughs...lots of laughs...and it was GREAT to be with my mom....it wasn't much fun for her.