Step 1: More Tests, Chemo Class, and Port Placement

I have had a rough few Mondays. On the 19th, I spent the day at Oakwood hospital getting more tests. They made me radioactive in nuclear medicine, then I had to drink the magic water in radiology. I was told by radiology to back in an hour for the CT scan, after that test was completed I was sent back to the basement to nuclear medicine for the bone scan. Between the two tests I was asked to lie still for about an hour total. OH, if only that is where that day ended, I was then sent next door to have an MRI of the head. If you've never had this kind of MRI, picture the man in the iron mask only it's plastic. Gratefully this machine was not as closed off (or maybe the room was just brighter) and I had no motion sickness this time!!!

Then I headed over to the oncologist's office to learn about chemo. I learned about how it would be given, what medications I will be given, the side effects.... I will have 8 chemo treatments total, since they are to be given every other week it will take 16 weeks to complete the 2 series. My medications will be given through an IV (actually a port, but more on that in a moment). I will do 4 treatments of "AC" and then 4 treatments of "Taxol." I will also be given Herceptin (for a year) since my cancer is HER2+. Then there are the side effects... the obvious few: fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hairloss and then the less obvious: mouth sores, constipation or diarrhea, dry mouth, extra dry skin, disruption to menstrual cycle, reduced sperm count....

Then came the prescriptions that I have to take here at home, with instructions that were more complicated than what can be put onto a label by the pharmacy. I have a feeling that I will no longer suck at taking my medicine. Especially the numbing cream so it doesn't hurt when they poke the needle into my chemo port.

(I apologize that this post is all over the place I feel like I have had so much going on that chronology is failing me.)

One of the most interesting parts of my chemo class was learning about the port that I had installed yesterday. It is a small disk with a silicone button on top and a thin tube at the bottom. It was surgically placed on my left side (near the clavicle) and the tube is inside a major vein. When I go for chemo they will just poke into the silicone and get/give what they need directly to my blood stream.

Thursday afternoon found me with another trip to Oakwood's Nuclear Medicine for a MUGA test and then to cardiology for an EKG. I would like to take this moment to say that of all the places that I have visited in the Oakwood system (and there have been many in the past year) I would gladly go to nuclear medicine again. First reason, they were nice. Second, they looked and sounded like they got along very well (lots of laughing and lots of smiles and conversations). Third, their waiting room was comfortable and quiet. And finally, they recognized me. I like it when people look at you and say hi in a way that says I know I've seen you recently, I really don't remember why/when, but its nice to see you again.

(oooooh I think I might need 4 posts today, Saturday and sunday adventures don't belong here.)

SO, let me tell you about another adventure in surgery... Monday, March 26, I had my chemo port placed and a sentinel node biopsy. I had to get to the hospital at 8:00 to register for surgery, then I had to go back to nuclear medicine to become radioactively dyed. The kind nurse in nuc med brought me back to the room and had me put on a lovely hospital gown. Then she squirted numbing cream on my right breast and   had me rub it in (she could have been a contender, but gave up the chance for groper #15). Then she went to get the doctor who came in, fondled the lump (making him #15), then he signed my chest and poked me 4 times with the radioactive dye. (I have to add to this section that I now have 3 pieces of paper to carry with me if I leave the country so that I don't upset any authorities with my radioactive self. AND I plan to turn into a math lesson in the next chapter for my seniors--if med #1 has a half-life of ___ and they gave me _____, how long does that mean it will be in my system.)

Then we were taken to the surgical wing, and I was brought back to be prepped. Nurse Jim and I had a good chuckle over putting in my IV (he offered me the chance to do it myself, as a joke, and I passed on that opportunity) We got to chatting about kids and school, he almost forgot to go get Sean. Then I was accused of being high maintenance when I said I was cold, and another nurse threatened to put a Justin Beiber tattoo on me during surgery. Since it was 10am when I was prepped and ready and Sean was finally back at my side we had an hour and a half to listen to the drama around us. I think we may have been the only people laughing in the area. The lady across the hall sounded like Large Marge (from PeeWee's adventure) the lady to the right of my curtain got up to pee 4 times and asked if she was going to feel anything while she was out. Then they brought in a woman who was to have her leg amputated, but that one didn't make us laugh. Diagonal from us they brought in a woman who was taking so much medicine that the nurse had to come back to talk to her because she had missed a page. Then there were the nurses who talk too loudly and the visitors who walked by... By the time it was my turn (nearly 1pm) we had laughed a lot.

(Insert Sean's adventures in waiting here)(AKA manning the phones for updates/progress reports)

Then there is the recovery room. I had a really hard time waking up, that is until they wheeled in a crazy lady next to me. She must have been the kind of person who doesn't listen to directions because she was ornery enough to wake my butt up and do everything in my power to get out. She was loud and whiny. She didn't understand that she was asking the nurse to do exactly what she was doing. It was a good thing that they finally let Sean come back because I was awake enough (and sore enough) to start shouting back  at her. All I wanted to say was, "shut up you stupid cow and listen to what they are telling you to do." Sean kept giving me the evil eye so I kept my mouth closed. (If my friend Kelly had been there instead, we might have ended up in BIG trouble.) Instead, we focused on getting out of there and in telling my nurse that we are certain that she had been my nurse last year when I had my appendectomy.

I guess this means that I am officially on the road to kicking breast cancer ass. First chemo treatment is Thursday! I'm scared and nervous. BUT I am brave and I am strong! And with the help of my friends and family I will win!