This journey has been full of blessings. I bounced back from the surgery quicker than everyone thought I would. Every c/t scan was clear. Waking up yesterday from the port "install", I felt great! Sore but felt great all day. Have had a bit more anxiety this last week. Still feeling confident & positive.
Last night I slept well. For most people that isn't a problem, but for me, I don't sleep well when I am not stressed. So this had been a bit difficult to shut down my brain at night.
It's morning, I felt pretty good, just anxious. When we got to the cancer center, we parked in the cancer center spaces, it was another reality check. I saw Meg who was in Jr. women's club with me years ago. Here at augusta health, she is the breast navigator who helps people going through breast cancer. she went through breast cancer while we were in Jr. Women's Club. She asked was I was doing here. She gave me a hug and said they would take good care of me.
As we waited in the lobby, I gave David his Valentine's Day card. I get emotional more when I think about David and the boys than I do at any other time.
Once we got back to the back. We waited a few minutes for Dr. Palmer to put in the order.
Next, they what'd to press and poke around my chest to find the port. It wasn't pleasant but wasn't horrible. There were three nurses in here commenting on the swelling and wondering why Dr. Carmichael didn't leave the port accessed. They sterilized the port area & themselves. The, it started. For the next 20 minutes or more, they tried 3 different needles, pressed down hard and poked me. One nurse (later Nina would become one of my stabilities & angels of this process) gave me her hand to squeeze which really did help. Every time they said no or I can't get it, it was like someone punched me in the stomach. It wasn't the pain that was getting to me. Don't get me wrong it didn't feel good, but pain these days is all relative. Mentally I was bruised and battered. Just couldn't take the thought of not starting today. Just couldn't take the thought of them telling me I had to wait.
doing an iv for chemo.
I have always thought I was a pretty good judge of character (maybe a little on niaeve, but pretty good nonetheless). I proved that right today. The first nurse was meek but seemed nice enough but not confident. The next one was positive, seemed to know her stuff and knew the tricks to help me through the first poke. The third nurse that came in. Was overconfident and a bit bossy to the nurse that obviously knew what she was doing. She told the others that she was going to give it a try. She wasn't great about the little comforts while she dug around in my sore spot. After the third needle and 5th attempt of accessing the port, they decided they would put in an IV. The same overconfident nurse started trying to get a vein which was really hard after all the surgery and procedures I have had done in the last 2 months. So that wasn't going to be pretty! Dr. Palmer stopped by to say it would be okay if they waited until Monday to start. I really did not want to wait.
After collecting myself emotionally, I was ready to try one more time.....not three, but one more time.
....after they put the iv in a whole new team of nurses came in to look at the port. These ladies, one of which had spoken to me on the phone forever when I called just with a few casual questions. Gina had a few great sayings. One was....this is your first time going through this, but we have done this a lot. The second was....we are going to be close family whether you want us to or not. She has a great cadence to her words and a soft, yet confident voice. But the best part was the she had a twinkle in her eyes. The other two ladies that also poked around a bit were of the same demeanor and quality. I knew I could trust them to try it. I told them once not more. It went in and Gina flushed it out. SUCH a relief! I immediately felt better! Emotionally & physically I just felt great! Ahhhhh! We are on our way! I can visualize the drugs duck hunting for the cancer cells!
The rest of the chemo time was spent chatting with Wayne & Bethany scheming about how we were going to torture the first group of nurses! David and I had tomato soup, salad, apples for lunch. Drank 32 oz. of water. 1can do diet coke to get through the 1st attempt at accessing the port.
Finished the big "o" drug by 2:00. I started magnesium and calcium then the push of 5fu......the best named chemo drug ever!!! Well, I finally got out of there by 4:15. It was nice to get home and have the boys rush to see us.
At home I am really having to work hard to not touch cold things. I have never been good about starting and sticking with new routines, but I think I better get this one down or it won't be pretty!m
No comments:
Post a Comment