Chemo Treatment #6

I've reached the halfway point for the first 12 weeks of chemo!  Yippy-kie-aye!  #6 - in the can!

Yesterday was actually a great day.  Oddly, I really look forward to chemo days.  I know that the premeds make me feel normal overall - not just the day of chemo itself.  I also feel like this is my big fighting day, too.  I'm excited to go to the hospital and get the show on the road.

My nurse yesterday was Angelette (I may be butchering her name).  I had her a few weeks ago and she really is nice as can be.  Lilli hasn't been my nurse since the second week.  While I do miss her - I've had many great nurses and really have no complaints about the treatment I've gotten.

Angelette got my IV started into my port without incident.  My favorite - the Benadryl - was last before the Big Show (Taxol).  As that kicked in, we started to watch a show about Baboons.  You KNOW something gross and disturbing will happen with baboons.  What better show to watch while on a Benny drip?  I was not disappointed...  As soon as Angelette disappeared outside of the curtain/door to my room, I looked up to find a male baboon getting his groove on with a miss thing baboon in a tree. Yes, a TREE.  He was working it.  It was total baboon porn.  I pointed and yelled to Matt, "LOOK! They're getting it ON!"  The plot thickened when the narrator explained that Romeo wasn't really her main squeeze (Pun intended? I think perhaps...).  Her dude was on the ground and was not happy.  Shenanighans ensued and a baboon fight broke out.  I was entralled.  Such quality TV viewing.

I told Angelette what she had missed when she came back and she went on to explain that the nurses were a raunchy bunch.  Oh, really??  Someone was really looking out for me when I ended up at this hospital. These are my people!  A buncha dirty Gerties.  Love it.

I sorta kinda dozed on and off but even though she had slowed down my Benadryl drip, my legs were still all dancy and restless.  The effect otherwise, though, was super strong.  I was stoned.  Period.  Angelette did say to me, "You're not driving home, right?"  I shook my head and shook a thumb in Matt's direction.  "Ohhhh no. That's what Jeeves over here is for."  They laughed.

Before she started the Benadryl infusion I asked again about what to expect with the next 12 weeks of chemo.  She told me to quit listening to people since they're all a bunch of nay sayers.  She said that it's like pregnancy.  "Everyone wants to tell you their horror stories."  She assured me that they will monitor me extremely closely and continue to give premeds to combat as many of the side effects as possible.  It still won't be a walk in the park, but I breathed a little easier after talking to her.  We talked about my rash on my scalp and she said that I was doing all the right things.  I told her that I had bought a baby brush and used that in the shower to gently massage and scratch my head with the baby shampoo.  It feels heavenly and seems to help.  She said that she had never thought of that and was going to share it with others.  Score one for me!

Once we left, I was starving.  (Surprised?  Not I...)  We stopped at Chuy's and got our grub on.  It was tasty as ever, of course.  After that, I was ready for a snooze.  We got home and I curled up with my favorite woobie on the couch.  I ended up sleeping for only about an hour and a half or so, but I was still dazed for a good hour or so after I woke up.

Later in the evening, I went with Matt to drop Maddie off at basketball practice.  We stopped at a few stores to kill some time.  As we were walking up to Bed, Bath and Beyond, my inner nasty bitch came out.  I couldn't help it.  There was a woman standing there as we walked up staring at me like I had three heads.  I mean STARING.  As we walked into the store, I looked her in the eye, took my hat off, smiled and kept walking.  Yes, lady.  I'm a bald chick.  Get a good long look.  Feel better now?  I didn't wait to see if her expression changed.  I just moved along and put my hat back on.  Ugh...

On our way home, I told Matt that I wanted to get some fun wigs.  We stopped at a local sex shop because I knew they had some there.  Yes, you read that correctly and no, don't ask me how I know these things.  I tried on several and settled on a long wavy/curly pink and a long, straight blonde one.  Totally NOT like anything I'd ever sport in my prior hair life but awesomely fun nonetheless.  We took some time to peruse the store and admire the butt plugs, penis pens, inhumanly-sized dildoes and many movies.  Delighful.  As I paid for my wigs, I commented to the sales woman that of all the things I could buy there, I definitely picked the most boring.  She laughed and agreed.

We got home and I let the girls admire my purchases.  They asked where I got them and I dodged the question several times.  (Yes, I realize that they'll read this at some point, but I'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  I'm sure I'll be able to tell by the outburst of "Oh my GOSH, MOM!!!!" and their blushing faces.) We all tried on the wigs and posed for many duck-faced pictures.  It was a silly good time.

I took an Ambien and slept for nearly 9 hours.  It was wonderful.  I also noted that my head wasn't bothering me at all.  Between the steroid and the Benadryl, it helped with the rash.  It's still there but definitely going away.  Oh, happy day!  I've been in a great mood today and feel pretty good as well.  I've only been a little fatigued, so I truly can't complain.

I've been dealt a shitty hand but you know what?  Life is still good.  Last week was rough - mostly because I was just so uncomfortable between the crazy fatigue and my damn itchy head.  It seems so minor overall, but it's still just a piece of this larger journey.  I'll get through it.  I have a lot of really terrific people in my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you - from the top of my fuzzy little head.