Post #47- What Happened During My Chemotherapy Session

How could have forgotten this, lol.. To tell you exactly what happens during Chemotherapy. There may be a such thing as Chemo brain after all. If it's not I sure like using the excuse while I am on chemo :)!

The infusion center ( the place where you get chemo) is set up with 16 burgundy recliner chairs. They have blankets, snacks (I like looking through the snack basket) and water. Unfortunately they don't have real food like I heard some other infusion centers have but they have a microwave if you want to heat up some food you brought from home. Plus what they lack in food the nurses make it up in personality and caring. They are really wonderful. Plus I got a gift bag (breast cancer has it's perks, I have so many pink bags and gifts) it had coupons in it and a wonderful massager. I didn't know they had blankets so I brought my own. Plus I brought a big bag of things to do, suduko, logic puzzles, PSP, journals, magazines, water/unsweetened cranberry juice, ensure...Ok I like to pack and I didn't use or eat one thing out of the bag. I just drank my cranberry water.

When I first went in they drew my blood to make sure my white and red blood cell count was high enough for me to get chemo. It was good and they gave me a sheet where they will write my counts down every chemo session so I can keep a record of it. The port worked well. The needle stung a bit because I had surgery three days prior but the pain went away fast. My veins were so happy that they were not getting abused anymore.

Next I got the pre chemotherapy cocktail. It consisted of Benadryl, Kytril, Dexamethasone, Zantax in one bag and a separate bag saline solution ( which continues through the entire treatment)

Zantac- is used to treat and prevent ulcers in the stomach and intestines

Benadryl- is an antihistamine. Benadryl blocks the effects of the naturally occurring chemical histamine in the body.

Dexamethasone-As an anti-inflammatory medication. Decadron relieves inflammation in various parts of the body. It is used specifically to decrease swelling (edema), associated with tumors of the spine and brain, and to treat eye inflammation.
To treat or prevent allergic reactions.
As treatment of certain kinds of autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, asthma and other lung conditions.
As treatment for a variety of cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.
To treat nausea and vomiting associated with some chemotherapy drugs.
Used to stimulate appetite in cancer patients with severe appetite problems

Kytril- is an anti-emetic agent, used to prevent nausea and vomiting, caused by cancer chemotherapy and radiation.

So all this pre cocktail solution goes into me by way of infusion through my port. Then I have to wait for 30 minutes after it have finished to start chemotherapy.

The chemotherapy solution is made each time you come and it is based on your height and weight.

The first chemotherapy drug administered was the Taxotere. It made my heart race rapidly then it went back to normal.

Second was Cytoxan. Now the Cytoxan was a doosie. I could feel it go up to my mouth my lips felt like they were swelling. I then felt it burn my right side of my brain and in my breast. That is not a good feeling. Cytoxan is no joke. I had a few strange feelings but they said it was all normal. I have to write everything down next time because while I was going through it the last thing I felt like doing was writing it all down. I was a little paranoid because some people experience severe reactions to these chemos and I wanted to tell them every little thing I was experiencing.

Finally the Herceptin. I experienced a heart flutter when the Herceptin infusion was administered. That was not cool. Your heart really feels like it is fluttering. So by now I want to take a nap. So I tried to nap in between me going to the bathroom to urinate about every 15 minutes. With the cranberry water and the saline solution I had to go. Of course I was in the chair furthest from the bathroom so I had to keep walking past everyone. I was the youngest person in there by decades and they kept looking at me like I must have some bladder control problem. It wasn't that at all, I just wanted to flush the excess chemo out of me. They said the Cytoxan can not be kept in the bladder especially the first two days because of it's toxicity and it can cause other cancers :(. So after the Herceptin I had to wait an half hour to make sure I didn't have any adverse reactions then I was sent on my merry way.

Because of the steroid pills and the steroid infusion I did not sleep that Monday night. I was wired and the next day I had to get the Neulasta shot. It was quite an experience.