Still Feeling Fine Today

The night before chemo and radiation (Tues night), I only got 3 hours of sleep. I slept from 12am to 3am, but then I couldn't fall back asleep. I just kept on thinking about the upcoming procedures. It may have also been the decadron I was taking. It's a steroid that's suppose to help decrease reaction to the chemo and decease nausea, but it keeps you active! Last night though I had a good night's sleep even with the decadron (dexamethasone).

I'm having partial breast radiation treatment 15 times once a day except Sat. and Sun. I had my second treatment this morning, and it went smoothly. I was even able to take in more air than yesterday so my lungs seem to be expanding. There were five angles for radiation treatment.

With the breathing machine you have a mouthpiece like the cheap scuba gear and then they clamp your nose. It kept on slipping off my nose I guess because of the lotion that I used. So they stuck on some tape before putting on the clamp to secure it. It worked very well.

The chemo went so smoothly I couldn't have had it better! It was crowded yesterday in the waiting room, but when it was my turn to go in, I got to have a bed with a TV and curtained private area. With the blanket and pillows I brought, it was pretty relaxing.

I was given the anti-nausea med Anzemet through the i.v. first. The i.v. tube was uncomfortable at first, but after a few minutes I asked another nurse to adjust the angle. I couldn't even feel it by the end of chemo. I was worried because if the chemo goes outside your vein, you can have cell damage there even though they are not growing fast since the chemo would accumulate.

The first chemo was taxotere, which I could have had a reaction to in the first 15 min. So the nurse watched me carefully then, but I was fine. In 5% of patients, they can get a rash or stop breathing. The carboplatin was next and that went without a problem. If patients get carbo more than 10 times, they can develop a reaction, but since I'm only getting 6 it should be OK with the rest of the treatments. The herceptin was last and could have given me a bad reaction (also 5% chance, but no prob there too. So I just ate grapes, a sandwich, drank water, chewed on ice, and flipped through an American Cancer Society magazine for wigs/hats. Mom helped me travel to the bathroom 3 times in my 5 hours there. Usually, the nurse keeps you there for an hour after you finish chemo, but I looked so well that I could leave early.

Sam, Mom, William, and I went to eat at Schezhuan House in Towson afterwards. I had a good appetite, but I noticed my mouth was a little dry. It could have been the gum I was chewing. I bought some Big Red the night before chemo because I heard the chemo could leave a bad taste in your mouth. We picked up some baking soda and added water to make a rinse. It was salty, but I think that it helped hydrate. With chemo you can get mouth sores or even a fungal thrush so the biotene and baking soda should help with that.

It was a smooth day yesterday. The only time I was really upset was when I heard that Janet's dad passed away. Please keep her in your prayers as well.