Chemo Day 5

This Friday was a cold and dreary day, perfect for a chemo session! I get up at 5:30 (well, Sam insisted I get up at 5:30) and take Sam for a walk … in the rain. I wouldn't really call it rain, more of a heavy drizzle. Enough so that I had to dry Sam off as soon as we got home.

After the walk, my Mother-In-Law (MIL), Merle, and I had the chemo breakfast of champions - a yummy quiche and fresh fruit. Plus coffee. After breakfast, I start getting ready for chemo:

• Charge my phone
• Charge my IPOD
• Take a shower and wash my hair ... actually my head. I have hair but very little. 
• Get dressed
•  Note: I decide to wear a short sleeve shirt; I've convince the heavy sweaters I wore last week were behind the very high blood pressure readings
• I did wear my new soft plush sweater from Deb and her girls (LOVE!!); it was cold outside! I took it off for the blood pressure
• Results: 136/79 - Not great but I'll take it!
• Put on my dancing shoes
• Glob on the lidocaine - you can never have too much lidocaine!
• Prepare my chemo bag:
•  Blanket from my niece Morgan
• IPOD
• Phone
• Lip Balm
• Water
• Socks for my hands (for the ice treatment - brrr)
• ID and Debit card
• Ready to go. 

Glad we left a few minutes early. Note to self: avoid Round Rock donuts at 8:30 AM. Traffic was crazy! It took us about 10 minutes just to get past RR donuts! Cars and people backed up everywhere.

Merle still got us there in plenty of time. For the first time, there was a good sized line to check in at Texas Oncology. Computer issues. Told you it was a dreary day!

Regardless, I get called back to the infusion room without too much wait, get assigned a chair and a nurse - I got Ms. Brandy again!

Once Brandy did the blood work and hooked up fluids, I can dance while we wait on lab results. I was a little concerned because my temp was up from my normal 97 to 99.5. Luckily, not enough to stop chemo! Before I continue, I know y'all are all thinking "Luckily? - is she nuts?". I was asking myself the same question cuz chemo was never something I wanted to do. Having said that, it seems to be working and I don't want to give Voldemort an opportunity to go to plan B to avoid what we hope is a certain death or at least a severe ass whooping!

Back to dancing! Once again, I had an older man laugh at me, I got a few glares from others, but mostly the reaction was "You go girl!" Brandy missed me dancing the last visit cuz she was swamped, but the nurse next to her told her that I danced last week and it made her day. Turns out it made a lot of staff happy. One of the ladies from the front desk came back for something and was shocked to see me dance … but she smiled and waved. I only got a handful of songs in before Brandy was back with the Benadryl. Once I get the Benadryl, I'm down for the count. My playlist this time:

• Billy Jean by Michael Jackson
• RESPECT by Aretha Franklin
• Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars
• Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
• Cruisin' by Huey Lewis and the News with Gwyneth Paltrow (love this version!)

Here comes the Taxol - and the ice gloves for my hands and feet. It is always a bit chilly in that room, but Friday took it to a whole new level. Morgan's blanket is nice and warm, but I still needed a heated blanket on top of it! Then off I go to lala land (the Benadryl). For the first time, I sleep through the entire round of Taxol, all but the last 10 minutes. I also left my hands and feet in the ice gloves the whole time without having to take a 5 or 10 minute break! I am not gonna lie …. I wanted to pull those things off more than once. But mind or matter prevailed, I feel asleep, and made it through another round of chemo.

Note on lab results: my blood counts, liver and kidney function are great! I was expecting the blood cell counts to be such that I needed to stay away from crowds. I was told to expect that after the 4th session. But it didn't! So business as usual!

Home from chemo a little after noon. I fixed tomato basil soup and grilled cheese sandwich (to die for - one of my favorite comfort foods), then took my post chemo nap. I was out until 4:30 or so.

Onward through the fog!!