This week was pretty good. Very little mouth pain, just occasionally when biting on something hard, and kind of tired, more so over the weekend. I went back to the dentist to get my night mouth guard adjusted to fit, and now will have to relearn sleeping with it on.
This Wednesday we had morning sessions. We left the house a bit after 7 am and made it for my 8:30 IV insertion. It took two tries this time. She said my veins were great, I was hydrated, my arm had been warmed up, but the first one must have been deeper than she thought and she couldn’t get it in right. The second try went in well and worked great. Last week when they didn’t work as well, I never smelled/tasted the saline like I usually do. Today I clearly did. It smells like an alcohol wipe to me! Anyway, she thought I was well-hydrated, and said you can’t lie about hydration to the phlebotomist, because they know! Her name was Phaedra, named after a Greek mythology goddess who was a daughter of King Minos and Pasiphaë and half-sister to the Minatour. Her aunt was studying Greek mythology in college and convinced her folks to choose the name, which surprised me since she killed herself in a tragedy!
Next, we had a brief meeting with the oncologist who popped in, then her nurse practitioner Andrea spoke with us for a while. She did a breast exam and couldn’t find anything to feel. She said they will test with an MRI and possibly a mammogram right at the end of chemotherapy to see how it all did, I guess so the surgeon has a better idea of what she’ll be working with.
She said the dentist should finish up my root canal just before my next Pembro in 3 weeks, when my white blood cell count should be highest.
She asked me about any symptoms: nausea (no, but she said after Pembro days I should still be taking meds for it and on taxol-only days I don’t need to), neuropathy (which is tingling or numbness in my hands and feet. No, and she said to keep taking B12 and using the hand & foot coolers), tissue dryness (yes. I’m taking eye drops when they get scratchy, using lotion on skin and inside nose, and taking really careful care of my mouth), tired (yes, but tolerable, & less than with AC), eating well (yes, but not hungry. If I forget, I get shaky, so I eat every 3 hours whether I’m hungry or not. I also can’t tell when I’m full).
We asked if a port was a good idea, and they said no. If I can’t get the IVs to work, we’ll have to, but keep hydrating. Dr Sheib also told me to squeeze balls to exercise my hands, which helps them find the veins.
She talked about the schedule: we are half way through now! 9 down, 9 to go! Plus possibly a 10th of just Pembro. They didn’t seem too sure about that. Then surgery about 3 to 4 weeks later, if they can schedule it (the surgeons are all backed up now from postponing surgeries during the worst months of omicron). If the plan continues, my last chemo will be on May 4th, and the surgery will be somewhere in the last week of May or first week of July.
The chemo went well. I had a laugh when I told the person taking me back to the room I was going to the bathroom first if that was OK. She said “NO”. I turned around with wide eyes and she looked confused. Frank said she said “No problem!” We all laughed over that! They gave me saline, 3 anti-nausea drugs (Pepcid, Aprepitant, Dexamethazone), Pembro, Taxol, and carboplatin. No Benadryl this time, but I was a bit tired anyway. Maybe just being in the chair does it! I listened to my music playlist, worked on a crossword puzzle with Frank, and ate snacks before I put the cold mitts on. They stay on from 15 minutes before the taxol to 15 minutes afterwards, so about 1 1/2 hours. Frank swaps them out every 20 minutes for cold ones, so he keeps busy!
We were home before 3, and the day was so beautiful we took a 1-mile walk!
The beautiful view on Ridge Rd that morning!
Just one of some of the soups brought to our door lately! Thanks, Tess & Adrian, and Jim & Sherri! Adrian, your bread is not only delicious, but a work of art!
And for another work of art, I got a homemade super-soft blanket and a book to read under it, from my sister Janet. So cozy!
Adrian's bread is beautiful and tasty too I bet! That would be hard if you can't tell when you are full but so glad you are eating well! Keep that Hangry feeling at bay. Love you! Janet
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