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Thursday, July 24, 2008

A Spa on The Chemo Floor

AS we drove to The Swedish Cancer Institue, I sue was emotional. I would cry and then be fine, but mainly I was anxious. I had read so much, to prepare me for my sessions. I am glad did because then I know the big the bad and the ugly. And yesterday it was all about the biggness of the expereience instead of anything ugly. In fact it was terrific! We went in to visit my my Onc just to talk to him about all my fears, reality, pressures, and how D has been feeling, kindof getting us insnyc again, with the Narcissisum Breast Cacner is, it is all about me and my care. This and that is what she will need if everything goes well, well as excpected. But if not, this is what you can expect to help her with. A very needed conversation.
After that we went to the pharmacy within in the building to get my chemo anti-nauseau med's. These drugs are not cheap! The are almost 500$ a month. Insurance only covers the ones that are generic, so I have prada sytled drugs in my body. I love it.

We then were ushered into the chemo area, and told that all the rooms were taken. The place they brought us to was perfect, it felt like a room too. Very private, we couldn't hear other people around us. I had 2 great nurses, and at one point 4 in my room. I was good to go with my port being accessed. In a bizarre way it felt good. I have been so gentile with it over this time and D gets queezie thinking of touching it. So, to have someone that knows how to firmly touch it, the port was in heaven. So, the port was accesssed and they starting pumping all the anit-nausea med's in me for a few hours. Then came the big guns. The Adrimayicin came in two giganict seryinges. It was read, and made my urine reddish orange right away, and still this moring. As my nurse was putting the AC in me, in an untouchable place (within the port site) it was burning me. I am very sensitive, and I am VERY intune with my body (except knowing if I had cancer) but I was being, if you can use the gentle word, gently burned. She called in a few other nurses and thye ended up just agreeing with me that I am sensitve. They have not known anyone that has been able to feel the AC before. I told them, look see if its in my head, I will close my eyes and look the other way and do it off and on. But still, it was the case. I felt it.

The room was fantastic. D, sat and talked with me whenever I felt like i needed to, otherwise he watched a movie on his laptop. I had an old friends healing music playing in my ears as I leafed through my book of healing collages. I was there with the support I needed from D, but then in my ears my music helped me drift into a deep healing place for me and process and cry and know that I am finally killing those cancer cells in my body.

Last night I felt really wobbly coming home, but good enough to take a walk with one of my best friend's Gen. D stayed home, and we slowly wound our way down to the beach. We got down there just when the sun was setting, sat at a bench and we reminicesnt of old days and our freewheelin' girl days. We had a lot of fun together. By the time we walked up the hills to home, every cell in my body felt as if I had run a marathon. I barely got myself up the stairs to get inside, but I did. I can't remember the rest of the evening. I think Gen made us some really yummy food, and then I took more anti-nausea med's and went to bed. Gen came in there and told me stories of us until I feel asleep.

I woke up around 2 or 3 feeling sick, so D got me my zolofron, and I drank it down. Went back to sleep. This morning, I took all my med's again, as I am not feeling good. I cannot lift a water bottle, there are probably lots of typing errors and it is just because its hard to type when your laying flat My head is pounding, but this isn't that bad. I feel pretty crappy, but not super crappy. So, I am happy about that. Mostly happy that D isn't getting overwhelmed, with needing to lay in bed with me. Gen is here, and D can go about business on the house and go grab straws from store, ect. He has me all organized that that is helpful. Gen is here, she said that I can just order her around to get me water, ect. I feel extremely blessed that I have this support today.

This whole thing is and has to be about me. Me getting better, everything. A very very very strange concept for me. As my entire life, I have always put everyone else first. Gotta go feeling like puking.

4 comments:

Leslie said...

Got your name & blog from the Tripe Neg. site~I have been there where you are; just know that the days you feel bad, there are good days ahead! I think that's what kept me going, sort of an internal HOPE for a brighter tomorrow! Take good care of yourself-it IS all about you!~Leslie

apriljahns said...

I'm glad you got to face the chemo monster after all these weeks and that you were able to show it to those of us not in your club.

tamara said...

Yay! Big chompy chemo bunnies are in there stomping on the cancer monsters! Go chemo bunnies, GO!

Hmm. Not sure this is the best analogy, but, as you know, I think bunnies are pretty powerful and important creatures. So there you go.

apriljahns said...

I had a bunny - she was fierce. Great analogy, Tamara.