A Hellish Beginning

After 13 hours we are finally home! This was supposed to take only five hours at most but it was eight more hours beyond that before we were done. The horror of the nurses trying to get the needle into the port will be one I won't forget anytime soon.

First the young nurse named Ashley tried to insert the one-inch needle into the port and although it went in, she was not able to get any blood out and had to remove the needle. She then went to get another nurse, an older more experienced nurse who tried another one-inch needle and then an 1 1/2-inch needle. The pressing down on an area that was still not healed and throbbing with pain and the stabbing of the many needles was agony. When she couldn't get anything, she went to get another nurse, Maureen, who also tried, and by this time I was in so much pain, that the name of the almighty was mentioned! And if you know me, once I reach this point, I am in real bad shape! Tears popped out too and I felt like a big baby.

After four attempts they finally gave up and called Dr. Schaffer's office who told them that they wanted me taken to the Angio department where the needle would be inserted with the help of x-ray.

And while we were waiting, a little nun came to pray with me and give me communion. I loved it and it calmed me down! It reminded me that God is always with me and that he will help me bear everything I have to.

When we got to Angio, I had to wait for the doctor for quite a while. The nurse, Michelle, took one look at the swollen port area, and said she wasn't going to touch it and went in search of a doctor. When the doctor finally became available, he too had to make two attempts. First he used the one-inch needle ... seriously people? Haven't we been down this road before? At least he discovered that there was a hematoma between my skin and the port and he drained that. On his second attempt with a 1 1/2-inch needle he finally got it in and was able to draw blood. And don't think it was any easier ... although he was more skillful ... it was still painful and there were several "Oh Gods". But it was done!

Got back up to my room 603 and there was "wonderful" hospital lunch. Ok ... I lie ... it wasn't bad. I was so hungry because all I had had was a piece of toast. There were thin slices of pork with some kind of sauce, mashed potatoes (ate all of this); spinach (ate two forkfuls); roll (pinched it); peach fruit cup (ate two pieces); peanut butter cookie (saved for later since I had my yummy ginger cookies) and water.

When the chemo drugs had not appeared yet by 1:30, I sent John out to get lunch for himself. I offered to share my hospital food, but Arby's won out for him. I read my two cookbooks -- "Eating Well With Cancer" and "Cancer-Fighting Kitchen," planned my menu for the week and did my shopping list.

After 2 pm when I was getting ready to start my book The Postmistress, nurse Ashley comes with my premeds -- Tylenol, Zofran, Zantac (50 mg), Ativan (0.5 mg), Benadryle (25 mg). One of the medications caused the weirdest intense itching ... started in my bottom of all places and then spread to under my arms and my head, but the Benadryle quickly took care of that. Strange! And of course the Benadryle knocked me out. Grrr ... I didn't want to sleep during the day, I'm afraid it is going to affect my sleep tonight.

When it came to the chemo drugs, it started with Herceptin (Trastuzumab) 260 mg, which took 90 minutes; then Docetaxel 124 mg which took 1 hour; and then Carboplatin 600 mg which took another hour. There were many, many trips to the bathroom in between!

And dinner came right after I had eaten my ginger cookie ... I am liking that cookie even better the next day which is common with anything made with spices. Time melds the flavors. I've also been drinking my ginseng ginger tea (more ginger the next time) and water.

I was hungry ... I ate all the chicken, carrots, touched the rice (no one can cook rice properly), ate all the fruit cup; cherry pie (yum); gave John the vanilla ice cream; drank all the water.

Finally all the medications were done and the port flushed! It is just after 9 pm and we are finally home. It's been a long, long day! But I survived this first chemo session and I will survive the next and the one after that and I shall to do them all with grace (thank you Donna for the reminder).