One Down

Today started out like any other day. Got up, got the kids out of bed, made breakfast for everyone and dropped Talia off at school. On the way out, two moms stopped to hug me and share some words of encouragement. And then to Kaiser Oakland for first infusion.

It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. The nurses were amazing. I am already trying to figure out what kind of cookies to bake for them! First I was given 5 pills (looked kind of like an easter egg basket with all the pretty pastel colors). Zofran, Decadron and Emend, all for anti-nausea (I also have a bag of these same drugs to have with me at home). Then they started the first drug, Adriamycin. It's bright red and in two syringes, so the nurse sits there and pushes it into my IV, takes about 10 minutes. Cherie, the nurse, was great. We chatted throughout. Then onto the Cytoxin. One IV bag full, took about an hour to get that in me. They took out my IV and sent me on my merry way. We talked to a few other patients, we were sitting in a room with 4 other chairs. One woman looked at me and said "Someone who needs to be carded to buy alcohol shouldn't be here getting chemo" and I said I couldn't agree more! I have the option of a private room but the natural light by the window was really nice. I've got a little TV I could watch but it was hard to concentrate on anything but my iphone. At one point (all you iphone junkies will appreciate this) I was reading an article on my phone and I looked over to where my phone had been sitting on the table and I didn't see it there and I started panicking that it was gone! Only to realize it was in my hand. Is this what chemo brain will bring?

So I'm home now, just ate my lunch and I'm gonna get some rest. I feel exhausted but mostly from the let down of getting through this HUGE day. We'll see what happens next.