AC Chemo - Day 1

Day 1 of Chemo finally here. Known it would come for a long time now as diagnosed 2.5 months ago, surgery 1.5 months ago and oncologist appointment 1 month ago but in a weird way it is not until I saw that pink liquid filled syringe be emptied into my arm that it was trully real.

They have been absolutely amazing here at POW Hospital at Randwick - I take my hat off to these guys and for my beautifull Chemo nurse Louise who has been extra cautious. I do not want to take away from the other nurses as they have been so attentative and wonderfull - trully great guys and girls - every single one of them but the gorgeous Louise has been trully wonderfull. It did mean I had to have 3 canula insertions (as she was not comfortable with the initial 2 and worried about toxins leaking) but I am gratefull she is being that cautious and that caring.

I must say having it done in hospital is a very weird experience as it takes forever to get the prep done. I was admitted at 10am but they only started medicating me at noon and it took some 3 hours to get all the prep meds into me. My angel Lousie reckons it is heaps faster in outpatient clinics but on the ward everything takes forever to both get up to the ward and to administer plus they had decent break between every drug to make sure I was not having an allergic reaction.

Speaking of allergic reactions weirdly I did have a bit of a reaction to the antinausea medication but thus far no issue with the toxic stuff. So YAY FOR NO MAJOR ALLERGY PROBLEMS and keeping every finger I have crossed hoping it stays this way.

For those yet to start AC Chemo, actual process of having it administered is no biggie... in my case at least...

First they administered all the 'prep' meds flushing the canula a lot in between. Then came the drug No1 - the 2 huge looking syringes filled with what looked like pink cordial. I must admit I expected to probably explode or fall over or something when lovely Louose started administering it but no big deal... a bit of a warm sensation through my arm then the rest of the body but that was about it. Cordial went in and no explosions, no implosions and no pain.

Then they readied the 2nd drug which was going to be dripped into the vein via IV over an hour. Apprently they can take 30 min to an hour so they chose an hour just to be cautious... I did try to talk them into a 'quickie' but they would not budge - safety 1st they reckon and crazy allergy girl would have to comply.

The hour went by and nothing bad happened. I must admit I was relieved but everyone here even more than me as poor people were terrified I would do my crazy allergy routine and they would have a 'code blue' on their hands.

It did take an hour which went by quickly (thanks to the movie channel) and the only side-effect I can report is a bery very mild metalic aftertaste which started in the final 10 minutes.

Now I know this is the first of 4 treatments and that all the bad stuff that goes hand in hand with this treatment comes afterwards as the toxins start to murder my immune system but for now I am one VERY HAPPY girl as the actual experience of being administred AC chemo (which I though would be super horrid, uncomfortable and even painfull) was no worse than sitting in an RTA or Medicare office waiting forever to get called up to the little window ??

Now I just need to put my energy into keeping things this way - off I go for a trott arround the Hospital as planning to stay as active as I can tollerate. 

I did ask here about exercise and if that was good or bad or dangerous with AC Chemo and advice was to do whatever I was doing before (in my case no good as my arse has either been planted in the office chair at work or sofa at home) or as much as I felt comfortable with. Advice is not to overexert myself but to definitely exercise if feeling up to it. Aparently strength, resistance training and pilates are very much acceptable so the plan is to do it all day long (if at all possible). By the way regular (non crazy) aerobic exercise is also OK they said (but out of the question for me as I do have a bit of a mobility impairment). They do reckon here that exercise helps both reduce nausia and fatigue so if I can keep them away off I go into whole new world of exercise (I know this is just day 1 and hoping it is not going to be the case of 'famous last words' and I do end up in bed 24x7 - but I guess time will tell).

And I have decided to come back and write a blog every day as I figured if nothing else it may help someone coming up this same path after I am done with AC that is apprehensive worried and scared about the 'unknown'. I know we are all different and everyone has a unique chemo experience but I guess still it may be helpfull.

Time for me to go for my 'Hospital trott'

Bye for now 

Jel

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