1st Chemo Treatment

My day started at 6am, not that I wanted to be up then but wasn't able to fall back asleep. I thought a lot about how the treatment was going to go today and whether or not I would feel any of the side effects or if this would be my freebee week and I wouldn't feel anything at all.
Mom picked me up at 8:30 and we were off to Vacaville to the new building B, 4th floor. Since it's a new building it was very quiet and seemed very empty. We checked in and they took me back to the where all the chairs were for the chemo patients and everyone has this wonderful view of the mountains and I-80.....lol, but a nice view non the less. My nurse today was Danielle and she was wonderful. I had some anti nausea meds first and then she put in my IV and started some saline. She asked why I wasn't going to have a port put in and having a PICC line as that would have to go in and out and she said that she could ask my Dr. about having a port put in and I said yes, I would prefer it. A port is put in surgically into my chest and will be there permenantly until they remove it. What it does is give immediate access and I won't have to be poked repeatedly for IV's and when I have my infusion of 5-FU, which will be coming home with me, it will be easier than having the PICC line coming out of my arm. So Danielle called my Dr. and she put in a referral for that to happen.
Danielle then gave me all sorts of support information and numbers to call should I need to talk to someone and reassured me that I was not alone in this process. She also told me that I would lose my hair with in 2-6 weeks. We had to wait for awhile as the lab was taking it's time making up my Gemzar. Finally it arrived and Danielle hooked it up and said that it might burn going in and to let her know. After about 30 seconds, indeed it began to burn and she ran saline with it and it helped a lot.
Mom and I then played a game of cribbage. She kicked my butt of course........lol But we only had time for one game as the Gemzar is given within a 30 min. time period. So after that was done we were all good, I was feeling good, so we ran a few more errands at Kaiser and then we were off to the Olive Garden for lunch.
Olive Garden of course was awesome. Mom said that I needed to try the Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara. OMG!!! So rich and creamy......everyone must try it!!! I also had their peach tea and they put slices of peach in it, was also very good. We made it back to my house and mom hung out until I was ready for a nap around 3.
I went upstairs and slept for about an hour and woke up with chills and a headache. I took some anti nausea and pain meds and it didn't work. I can't explain, all over body aches, couldn't get comfortable, it was just awful. Around 6pm or so I finally gave in and vomited which of course is just gross but my body felt a little better and I fell asleep for a little bit. When I woke my head was about to explode and my legs felt like I had run a marathon and all the lactic acid was built up and wasn't going away. I just couldn't get it to stop. I took more pain meds and I finally fell back asleep around midnight. Phew, I survived. Man, if this is what it's going to be like after each treatment, I would just rather sleep right through it. Well no one said it was going to be a walk in the park, but wouldn't that be nice???