Round 2

Round 2 was yesterday, very glad I switched days as apparently yesterday was super busy, people in the middle of the aisle waiting, whereas when I went in there was only one other person hooked up and they finished not long after

I had the company of my friend Delwyn today, and even though I had the place practically to myself I had to sit in the one faulty chair, went to put my feet up and the handle of the recliner fell off. The pump was playing up and had to be restarted. I will avoid that chair from now on, also best to pick a chair with the table on my right hand side so I'm in the correct position for the IV pump on the left - much like you line yourself up at the petrol station, same side as the petrol cap.

This time I put a hot wheat-bag on my hand before going in and after 1 dip and swirl in the hot water Nurse Lorraine managed to get a vein just down my hand in line with the gap between my little finger and the one next to it. Much more comfortable, and done and dusted in 1.5 hours. Delwyn kindly drove me round to my sisters and I had a lovely meal of Butter chicken, followed by toblerone. 

No nasty side effects over night and it's over 24 hours later so another big fat zero on the vomitron scale. I am a little bit tired so going to pace myself over the weekend. Good excuse to catch up on bad TV and avoid the gardening.

And best thing about chemo so far, apparently you get to jump the queue at the lab when you go in for blood tests. I found out on Wednesday when I had to go in for the regular weekly one, barely sat down in the very crowded waiting room and got called immediately. I was told it's because you're at greater risk of infection so they don't want you sitting in a room with sick people. Score! I just have to develop a thick skin because I got several death stares as I sauntered past.

Here's some wigs I tried on today

My day started with an echocardiogram check, it's a baseline one and then they recheck me from time to time over the next 12 months while I'm taking herceptin. 

Bit odd really as the technician gets you to lie on your side and almost hugs you while he's pushing the scope thing around your left side, then you've to lie on your back while he pushes the scope up your belly to check the aorta path from your abdomen. 

Yes, I got the giggles again as my belly fat rolled as he was doing it. OMG, I'm really hoping chemo will help with that!

It would appear that I am incapable of getting thru a diagnostic procedure/check up with out giggling like an idiot

Onto the wig trying on. I was set to go with long hair, totally different colour however I've ended up with one that is slightly longer than my own hair, long bob style and blonde, similar to what I have now. Decided long hair really doesn't suit me and dark is not the way to go. The style I liked has to be ordered in the colour I like so no picture yet of what I actually got.

I spent up to my government subsidy by also getting a Buff which is like a multi coloured tube you can wear on your head different ways. Versatile in that it should keep my head warm now and I can still wear it afterwards.

Too dark but kind of liked the style - versatile

Bit short

Bit on the dark side, liked the style

Undecided

Too dark

Yeah - Nah!

Did consider this one, but bit flicky for me

I call this the Amy Winehouse - as in ".....No No No"

Too short, not sure about the style either

Axl Rose or Agnetha?
That's my "buff" on top and not a wig but a hairpiece you can wear with a hat!

This is where I confess that I can't actually remember which style I picked!

Chemo day 1 - 0 on the vomitron scale

Day 1 of chemo was yesterday and no symptoms yet so that's a good start.

Got the call the morning I arrived back from my cruise - which was excellent, just need to detox. I went in for Orientation on Tuesday and Wednesday got started after I did a 1/2 day at work

I was in there at 1 pm, and out by 4.20 pm but this was the big dose so won't be as long next time.

Nurse Jenny got me set up. They put you in a very comfy recliner chair, table beside you, take your blood pressure, temperature and oxygen stats. You then have to put your hand in a bucket of really hot water to bring up the veins in your hand. Unfortunately I have small veins there - they're bloody great in my arm damn it! So after much soaking and fist pumping Jenny picked the best spot which was below my thumb on my wrist and that was a bit eye watering. 

Everything else was a breeze. I had my chemo drug first for an hour, then they flush it thru with saline, then it was the herceptin for 1.5 hours and flushed thru with saline. The only slight drama was my injection site suddenly balloned as I was getting into the car, but a bit of pressure on it and an ice pack later did the trick.

Sitting in the chemo room makes you realise how lucky you are because there are people in far worse condition than me. There were also a few that didn't look like they had cancer - just like me, and no one was vomiting! It's a cheery place, full of books and stuff to keep you entertained, I had my magazine so between that and texting people the time didn't drag at all.

I got picked up by Isla and spent the night at her place. Best maccaroni cheese for dinner, was going to pace myself but had 2 helpings with no adverse effects, followed by a mint trumpet and some telly with Isla, Jess and Gads.

Thanks to Jess for her room again!

So while not wanting to jinx myself it's been a piece of cake so far!

I've decided to do a "Vomitron Scale" much like the richter scale
0 = nothing to see here
1 = feeling a bit squibby
2 = Full on nausea, sympathy for those who get morning sickness
3 = Vomit but not too bad
4 = Full on vomit
5 = Best not to ask, walk away!

Yesterday rates a nice fat 0
Today - perhaps too early to tell but I'm picking another 0

Got my toenails painted

Hooked up

Off on my Food and Wine Cruise tomorrow - anniversary of the Titanic sinking!

Made it, I'm off on my 3 day food and wine cruise to celebrate Delwyn's 50th

I'm having a holiday from cancer and the C word is banned. Yup, we're not going to mention Calories at all. I'm going to make the most of the time out and celebrations, sugar be damned.

My self imposed "better not drink because it's probably not good for wound healing" is taking a break. It's farewell to spinach smoothies for breakfast for a while. I'll do better once I'm back...maybe

Delwyn's husband takes great delight in telling us we depart on the same day that the Titanic sunk! Pfft, if there's an iceberg in Auckland waters I'll eat my sunhat.

I've had my hair done for the cruise, and probably the last time for a while but just think how much quicker it will be for me to get ready in the morning.

Last hairdo for a while

Starsky and Hutch starts in 1-2 weeks

I saw the Radiation specialist and Oncologist this week and here's what the treatment plan is: 

Chemo will start in 1-2 weeks, once a week for 12 weeks. I'll be hooked up for about 3 hours each time. They do a blood test the day before so you know whether you're good to go or not. So next step is an appointment with the Nurses at the Cancer Centre for a look around and blood test.

As I'm going to be having Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year they will also be doing regular checks on my heart. So my first drug cocktail will be the chemo drug and Herceptin together, then the next 2 weeks chemo drug only, on the 3rd week it's back to the chemo/Herceptin cancer fighting duo.  Maybe I'll call them Superman and Batman or Starsky and Hutch.

I'm getting a not so harsh cocktail as it's more of a "Let's make sure there's no cancer cells lurking" rather than an "OMG she's screwed unless we do a full on armageddon assault" so that should mean the side effects won't be too horrendous and they arm you with anti-nausea stuff too. I do need to buy a thermometer and act on any temperature. The nice young registrar I saw told me the people who usually end up in hospital with infections are the ones who ignore a temperature and don't do anything about it. So I will become a temperature taking ninja.

I may not lose all my hair but it will definitely thin out, so I've decided to take charge of that and as soon as some starts to fall out I'm taking my hair down to a number 1-2 shave. 

I may feel up to working in between chemo but I might not, apparently on top of the huge list of possible side effects difficulty in concentrating is right up there with nausea. I will now have a totally awesome excuse for forgetting what I walked into a room for!

The plan for now is to stay with my sister for 1-2 days and see how it goes.

Once chemo is over, I get a break for 3-4 weeks then it's Radiation. First thing they do is call you in for your tattoo.  I forgot to ask if you get a choice, maybe instead of a boring old spot or cross I'll get me a smiley face :)

The radiation treatment is a short zap, done and dusted in 30 minutes, Mon-Fri for 3 weeks, then you need 3 weeks to recover as most people feel tired after it's over. My lovely Radiation Specialist Dr G ended my appointment by saying that after 30 years experience she can pretty much tell when the patient walks in the door whether they're going to cope well mentally with it and told me "I think you're going to sail thru it" That's exactly what I wanted to hear, except maybe she tells all her patients that?

I'm glad things are getting under way and that while this next stage is probably not going to be easy it could be a whole lot worse, but I've got "Starsky and Hutch" on my side and I reckon I'll get a long blonde wig or red and curly, either way I think I need to try long hair for the first time in my life.

Purple, long and curly?

Blonde and long?

Midlength red and wavy?

Red long and curly?