Chemotherapy Day 1 Cycle 1 June 13 2011

We arrived in the Chemotherapy Room in the back of Dr. Moore's office complex and took our positions in the recliners. Nurse Debra began by drawing my blood for labs. They have to waste the first few cc's of blood they pull out before they draw the blood for the lab tests - so, my anemia isn't going to improve any time soon.

Nurse Robin (from Illinois) administered my chemotherapy.

First I got some normal saline fluid, then the Zometa (bone strengthening medication) which I will only get once a month.

Jani entertained me and brought me snacks and drinks whenever I wanted them from our little cooler we brought fully loaded~

Nurse Robin gave me Decadron (steriod anti-inflammatory medication). i sorta lost count of the order the medications - but, I don't think it matters if I know.

and more IV fluids and Aloxi (anti-nausea medication)

Lastly Nurse Robin pushed the Velicade dosage in the IV followed by more fluids.

Then more fluids. I was in the Chemo Room from about 1:45 PM until 5 PM. Next time on Thursday, it should go faster because I won't be getting the Zometa.

The Chemo Room is divided in to 3 open bays with 5 recliners or so in each of the 3 bays. The place was busy and Jani had a hard time taking photos that wouldn't include any of the other patients, but she managed pretty well. I've given up my privacy (obviously with the blog), but I'm protecting all others. The Chemo Room is very noisy with beeping alarms on the IV pumps that sound like the backup beepers on forklifts. You can request a private room (I think they have 5) and we may do that. The noise of the alarms was bothersome to me as I startle easily. Jani suggested I put my itunes earphones in and listen to music and that helped to attenuate the noise some.

Nurse Robin ended by taking the Huber needle out of my newly implanted Bard Super Port. The tissue the port is located in is bruised and very tender, so it hurt. This should improve with time and healing around the port area. Here is my exact needle that was removed.

A small dressing over the needle site with silk tape and we were out there. All of the bruising is from intra-operative (during the procedure) tape that was removed.

 We didn't get home to Greeley, Colorado until 5:45 PM, so we were gone nearly 12 hours!

My anterior chest wall before and after the port procedure..

This is the protocol of chemotherapy Dr. Moore has me on. He only gave me Page 1 and I'm going to ask him for Page 2.