Port Placement and First Chemo

I got to the hospital and got my port placed this morning. No problems with it. They used what they called "heavy sedation" which did not put me out completely. I felt almost nothing besides a couple of sharp pinches. Then it was off to the treatment center for that first round of adrimycin and cytoxin: the chemo cocktail that I'll be taking for the first 4 rounds, given every two weeks. That's going to be 2 months worth. Then I'll be switching to a cocktail of taxol and herceptin. The TH (as it's called) will be given once a week for 4 weeks, then we'll drop the T (taxol) and continue with the herceptin every 3 weeks for a year. Sometime after the end of the Taxol, I'll be doing the radiation 5 days a week for 5-6 weeks. Unless my radiology oncologist suggests otherwise, I'll be doing the herceptin in conjunction with the radiation. If she would rather that I stop it, we will during the course of the radiation, then we'll pick it right back up when I'm done. Either way, I'm looking at almost a year and a half of treatment, give or take a few weeks and assuming that there are no issues that come up which might delay the treatment. Lord willing, that won't be a problem!

Tomorrow morning I have to go back down to the treatment center to get a Neulasta shot. This is to help boost my cell counts since I'm going every 2 weeks and that isn't enough time to let them recover naturally. I'll be right in the middle of the cell count low point when I have to go in for the next course. So the Neulasta will boost those counts. Unfortunately, this means it also causes bone/joint aches and pains as it stimulates the bone marrow to make new cells. This is supposed to last only a few days, but I'm not looking forward to it! I don't know it the aching will start tomorrow or Wednesday, but I'm hoping it'll be lather rather than sooner, and that maybe it won't be really painful at all.

So far, the only hints of side effects I've seen was one small hint of nausea that was easily remedied with a Compazine, a lot of acid reflux, and a bit of an "off" taste in my mouth. Nothing too bad. Mark was eating some baby carrots with blue cheese dip earlier (something I usually love) but one bite was enough to let me know that I won't be eating any of that for a while. The carrots were fine, but that dip was crazy bitter to me. So, it's out until my taste returns to normal. :(

Anyway, things are going very well, I'd say. That Neulasta shot tomorrow might put a bit of a kink in things, but I"m going to just assume that it will go as well as the chemo has so far. I reckon I'll have a crash in a few days, maybe, but for now, I'm just grateful for what I have!

Blessings to all,

Jennifer