Chemo Round 2. First Round WINNER: Shermance!

Round 1 was good.  No major side effects.  Some tiredness. No Nausea.  Not sure how round 2 will be. The whole process of chemo is scary.  The day before and the hours leading up to chemo are stressful as Shermance anticipates Dr. Koc's updates, wonders how she'll react to this round of chemo, thinks about needle sticks, and looks forward to 3-4 hours sitting in the chemo lounge with 32 cancer patients in plain view. It's a crowded room that barely allows room for a cancer hero to sit nearby.  The room is bustling with nurses, doctors, and assistants caring for the loungers. People read, fill out crossword puzzles, watch movies, chat, and send emails. Patients are close enough for easy chatting (advice from a neighboring patient below). Unfortunately, it's not a very restful place.

The best NEWS! The cancer is definitely getting smaller, but we need to keep-up the treatment cycle.  Unfortunately in this case Shermance can't be an overachiever.  No shortcuts.  No treatment reduction. Before we complete chemo, we will need to decide whether to remove lymph nodes or have radiation.  Although Shermance has been adament against radiation, she also doesn’t want to wear arm panty hose.  Dr. Kocs responded, “You don’t want to die, do you?”  He has a way of cutting straight to the point.  Shermance responded, "OK, I'll do radiation".  We don't need to decide now, but rest assured we will do whatever is required to ensure longevity.

Shermance was also curious about an "abnormality" that showed up in the initial PET Scan.  Other patients have scared her about the "R-word" - recurrence after this process.  Many have gone years after breast cancer and then had cancer in onther part of the breast, in the lungs or another organ.  UGH!  WE pray we are one and done with this cancer thing.  Doctor Kocs comforted Shermance.  He said the blip on the screen is unidentified, likely nothing of concern and besides, it's 3mm. "Go home and see how small 3 mm is.  We'll definitely watch it, but I would hardly call it a "mass"." It may go away completely on it's own or with the chemo we are receiving.


Dr Kocs

The meds knocked her out

Notes from doc:

• Massages are OK and needed for a dental hygienist who stoops all day doing delicate work in patients' mouths.  Doc said it's a wive's tale that massages spread the cancer.
• He wants a room filled with Australian Opals if they have healing powers of cancer (Shermance wants one to wear around her neck)
• Prada glasses are the bomb.  He's so hot he's gone through three of them in 10 years. Ha!

Shermance's Fringe Me! "bling bandanas" are a hit with the chemo crowd! Everyone asks about them so Shermance will send business Martha's way.

Advice from the neighboring patient who is going through the AC/Taxol cycle (on 9 of 12) and already had a double masectomy:

• Taxol - may cause loss of feeling in fingers.  Keep them dipped in cold to minimize the risk.
• "Look good, feel good program" - is a free make-up program for chemo patients
• PinkPockets.com special shirts for masectomy surgery that have pockets for the drainage pouches
• Wedge pillow after surgery because she needs to sleep sitting up for a few days
• Clutching cross - a cross that fits in the hand to hold during treatment
• Dr. Scott Hedan - recommended breast reconstruction surgeon
• Taxol can affect bone marrow.  Not sure how to limit effects.

Round 2 Meds:
Sodium Chloride - flush out IV
Amend - anti nausea pre-med IV
Dexamethasone - steroid pre-med IV
Palonosetron - small syringe antinausea pre-med (also have pills for at home)
Lorazepam - small syringe antinausea pre-med makes her sleepy (also have pills for at home)
Doxorubicin (called Adriamycin) - Chemo (a large syringe with red liquid adminstered for 5 - 10 minutes)
 - wait 5 minutes -
Cyclophosphamide (called Cytoxan)- Chemo slow drip for about an hour through IV
Total time ~3 hours in the chemo chair

Oncology nurses: Andrea, Elizabeth, and Connie (new this time)