It's A PowerPort Chemo Kind Of Day

 

Today is chemo day, blechhhhhhhhh!  What may take place is mystery which will be revealed over the next hours and/or days.  Here's a recap of what happened 4 weeks ago.

Dec 13th had Bard PowerPort surgically implanted in my right upper chest wall.  this device will remain in my body for a  minimum of 2 yrs and will require flushing out at least once per month.  When it  is accessed there is minor pain involved as a needle has to go into my chest; also wearing a bra and a seat-belt require being creative so as not to place pressure on this thing.

Dec 14th 6 & 10 PM I take Decadron a pre-chemo med to lessen peripheral neuropathy & delayed nausea.

Peripheral neuropathy is a problem with the nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. This can produce pain, loss of sensation, and an inability to control muscles.

• "Peripheral" means nerves further out from the center of the body, distant from the brain and spinal cord (which are called the central nervous system).
• "Neuro" means nerves.
• "Pathy" means abnormal

Dec 15th  Chemo day starts with blood  counts being done, if the numbers are ok then pre-meds are given; anti-nausea,antihistamine, decadron and zantac.  Then about 30 minutes later chemo drugs, Taxol and Carboplatin, are administered over about 5 hours.

Dec 15th after chemo and the 16th I felt fine except for the Neulasta shot I got on the 16th, it puts cell making into super overdrive to try to keep up with chemo killing off everything in sight; it  causes pelvic/kidney/low back pain as that's where most of our stem/blood cells are produced.

Dec 17th, 5:30 AM I wake up knowing  I must get to the hospital, as the hours pass I only feel worse by 3 PM I'm honestly ready to be absent from the body and present with The Lord.  My one year old grand-daughter and I are both wearing diapers and having someone help us clean up(humiliating, for me).  My nurses literally pray as they tend to me.  I remember thinking I didn't even get a whole dose of chemo, yet this reaction takes place????  Over the next days I am pumped full of fluids, pain killers, antibiotics, platelets, blood and 2 more shots to produce mass cell production.  The shots send my blood pressure nearly to double in a 10 minute time frame and they immediately ran heart tests, heart ok but the side effects from the shots make me feel as if I'm being sucked out to sea by giant waves then smashed back onto the hard sandy shore then sucked back out and on and on and on (this reaction didn't stop for 4 days).

Dec 22nd,  3:30 PM I get released from the hospital.  I feel like I've been hit by another big rig, a train, a couple of buses and a huge partridge hit me with the  pear tree then dive bombed me!

Dec 23rd I still feel yucky but am able to decorate the Christmas tree.

Dec 24th, I feel a bit better and manage to get some shopping in for small gifts and the Christmas meal.  I spend the remainder of the day prepping for the feast.

Dec 25th, still not up to par but the meal is great and being with the family is very special.

Dec 26th to current date still battling gastro-intestinal issues, get more blood and more platelets.

And so here we are, chemo day again.  What fun will take place this time?  I know only this:  I am staying prayed up, folks.  More later!