First Day of Chemo

 I made it, people!  The first day of chemo is over.  I survived and am feeling fine, so I'm off to a good start.  Now I'll just wait and see what happens after the Zofran and steroid potion wears off!

Today was the first day I've seen the scar from the port insertion.  I pulled the surgical strips off and still have quite a bit of bruising and swelling. 

 I was instructed to put a lidocaine cream over the port site 2 hours prior to coming for chemo and to just cover it with saran wrap.  I'm lucky enough that Stephen has a bunch of medical stuff in his "zombie apocalypse" stash of supplies, so my "saran wrap" was a bit more official looking.   

It almost felt like the first day of school--nervous feeling, new outfit, up early to get ready, new bag packed, took a picture by the front door, and my mommy got to take me.  {Even though I nearly insisted on going by myself--seriously, I just felt like I would be fine.  My mom tried to get me to let her go yesterday, but I took comfort in knowing she would be with the boys.  Later that evening, my Relief Society President, Lynette, called and just told me she couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't go alone.  She would drive me.  She practically insisted, explaining that she was NOT able to feel at peace with me going by myself.  I'm learning to let go and receive help, so I explained that my mom had already told me about her similar feelings and wanted to go.  Lynette offered to watch the boys so my mom could drive me to the appointment. As Lynette explained today, "the spirit just kept working on me, and something about you going alone didn't feel right.  I honestly had so many things going on today and kept trying to push the thought away since you told me that's what you wanted and that you'd be fine, but I just felt sick about it.  Once I knew I'd be coming over here, the day just opened up and everything was fine.  The Lord is watching out for you in more ways than you even know."}    

 We made it to the office and waited just a few minutes to figure out my cost for the day.  {The power went out right when I was called up to the desk, which was a little weird.  Maybe a sign?}

My vitals were taken--
BP 118/77
Weight: 173
{I forget the others}
That's my baseline pre-chemo.  It will be interesting to see the changes.

I chose the corner chair.

I only felt a small prink, like a tiny shot when the needle was inserted into my port.  No big deal.

Now, for the potions.
First, I received some steroids and nausea medicine.  I was feeling fine up to that point.  It felt a little warm and tingly in my abdomen.

Here's a picture of me at the start.  {I cracked up that my brother told me that "it basically looks like you're sipping pina coladas {virgin, of course} poolside.  Now all you need is a sun hat."}  It is kind of relaxing, and I can't feel guilty about the time it takes.  It's not like I'm going shopping or getting a massage and dropping the kids off with someone for no reason.  I get a little mommy's day out and can watch tv, read, blog, take a nap, play games, etc., but it's me time that is saving my life, not just frivolous activities. 

Potion #2: Benadryl.  This is to help my body deal with the Paclitaxel, which can have a high risk of reaction and anaphylaxis.  My doctor said that she will decrease the amount depending on how I react.  That's when I started to feel like my neck could no longer hold my held up.  I couldn't fight that feeling anymore, and I was OUT.  I think my mom said I slept for over an hour.  Deep, drooling sleep.  I tried to write a few things, read, and be a little productive, but that sleep potion took total control.  Here I am in my lounger, just minutes before getting some shut-eye. 

I had potion #3, Herceptin, while I was sleeping, so I have no idea if this affected me at all.

Then, I woke up, refreshed, and Dr. Naqvi came in to see me.  The first words out of her mouth were, "I have some good news!  Very good news.  The genetic tests came back negative!"  This means that my breast cancer was not caused by the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, as far as scientific research up to this point in time can tell.  It also means that my surgery options are not guaranteed to be a double mastectomy AND removal of the ovaries!  It ALSO means that my siblings and children are not encouraged to also have this expensive genetic test done because they are not considered to be at a high risk for this genetic type of cancer.  That is good news in many ways!  Thank you for your prayers on this result.  It is a great blessing, and a great relief to not only me, but my mom and many others who were worried about that.

Dr. Naqvi also explained that I shouldn't feel too bad with this chemo.  I probably would only need to take the Zofran for 2-3 days after chemo, and that my neuropathy probably wouldn't start for about 6 weeks, but she would give me some more potions at that time.

Lastly, came the Paclitaxel.  It felt warm throughout my chest.  Not painful, but I could just tell that something was moving through my body.  By this time, it was almost 1:00, so I was getting really hungry.  That was pretty much my only complaint.

They unhooked me, we packed my bags, and that was about it! 

I learned that I have to go in for a shot tomorrow and must have blood work done every week, a few days before chemo.   Man, they need to give me an itinerary for all of this stuff! 

All in all, it was pretty painless.  I'm feeling fine today.  I'm grateful for my warriors--those here with me physically and those with me in prayer.  Prayers are being answered daily, people.  It's humbling to get to witness such miracles and tender mercies on a day to day basis.