First Chemo Treatment

Today, Friday April 10th, was a very long day. We started at 7:30am at Kadlec for the medi-port placement. After a slight delay, missing orders from Dr Rado’s office, mom was taken to the cath lab. The nurses got her all ready then the doctor came to explain exactly what he would be doing and the reasons for putting it in. Along with the convenience factor it also will help protect her veins. When the chemo drugs are pushed through a vein they burn the walls of the vein and the vein is damaged to the point that it no longer useful. After several treatments there are fewer and fewer veins left and it can become very difficult to get an IV in. Also the arm which the IV is placed will be very sore for a couple of days. By using the port the chemo drugs travel through a plastic tube that protects the vein walls and drops the drugs directly into the heart where it is quickly diluted with no damage to the vein. I find modern medicine fascinating.

By 11:30am we were on our way to the Cancer Center for mom’s first chemo treatment. The infusion nurse was a little upset that they didn’t leave the port accessed, but I forgot to remind them with all the confusion about the missing doctor’s orders. It didn’t take long for her to get mom all hooked up, luckily there was still some numbness around the port since we came straight from the procedure. Usually it is very tender for a day or two and putting the line in tomorrow or even later today would’ve been painful. The nurse started with an hour of hydration, then an hour of the chemo drug, followed by another hour of hydration. The hydration before and after is to help flush it through her system and encourage her to use the bathroom. So anyone takes her to treatment in the future, be aware that she should be using the restroom often throughout the treatment. Although it sounds like chemo takes 3 hours it is really about 3 ½ - 4 hours, which includes putting the line in and taking it out again.

At around 3:30 we walked over to the radiation lab for that treatment. Again mom’s mask was quite snug. It leaves a fish scale like impression on her forehead that lasts about 20-30 minutes. She discussed with the tech making a new one, but decided to see how it fits next week. The mask was fitted to her not long after the surgery and she was on a restricted diet at the time so it is understandable why the mask may not fit the same now that she is back to normal eating habits. By 4:30pm we were finally on our way home, where Valerie and Dustin were there watching the girls and getting ready to cook us dinner.

Mom is feeling good, but a little unstable walking. She says she’s not tired, but looks a little pale and sleepy. She did say she was going to make it an early night.