posted Thursday, 6 October 2005
I'm officially just over halfway done with chemo -- yippee!
Today marked the start of phase 2: Taxol.
Taxol is another drug used frequently in breast cancer patients. The first time they administer it, they have you in a bed, which was nice, since they give you IV benadryl, which completely knocked me out. Jenny H took me for today's appointment. Apparently, the last time she was at my house, she took "the long way home" to Philly... she arrived at my house almost a full hour before my appt... so she climbed into bed and took a nice little nap!
There was a small mix-up at the drs today though... two others were also starting taxol, so the 2 beds were full. I had to wait an hour to get started, so Jenny & I hit the gift shop & coffee/cafe for a while (good thing we did, as the little wizard/dragon statues were on sale and she managed to pick one up for her fiance!)
We headed back upstairs and I settled down into a bed. They start you in a bed because there is a risk of allergic reaction to the taxol, so they give you your premeds, wait a half hour and then start you on the taxol... very slowly... and monitor your first half hour. Everything went smoothly once I got started though and I fairly quickly passed out into a benadryl-induced slumber.
Everyone thought Jenny was my sister (we don't really look the same, but I guess Jenny looks like me with no hair?!) and I caught the nurse giving her an appreciative lecture about how nice it was for her to come with me (I was asleep, but woke up halfway through their little chat... but pretended to still sleep... a little too awkward to pop my head into that!)... but she was right... I really do appreciate those who have taken time to go with me to chemo or take care of me afterwards!
The taxol seems easier than the AC. No nausea. Apparently I way-over-estimated how bad the nausea/vomiting would be and under-estimated how bad the "bone pain" would be... yes that's right... "bone pain"... This is the side effect most notorious of Taxol. Basically, two days after treatment, it sets in... and you feel like you've been run over by a truck. Lovely. But at least I have my appetite, right? Gotta count your blessings!
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