Three Down....One More To Go

Friday was Mom's third chemotherapy treatment. Only one more treatment to go!! We can see the end of the tunnel of treatment!

It was another long day at the chemo lab. We got there at 8:30am for blood tests and the doctor's visit and didn't leave the lab until 4pm. Mom's blood tests were okay other than an elevated glucose level. This is a side effect of the steroids that she is on to help prevent reaction to the chemotherapy drugs. So, basically, one side effect from a drug can wreck havoc with another side effect of a drug. I told Dr. Bagai Mom's side effects and he said that they were all the usual side effects. He was pleased that she hasn't had anything more extreme due to her other health issues. I asked the doctor about the fatigue and body aches and he said that it will get worse for the last two treatments. I also asked about the depression that Mom has the second week after treatment. He said that could happen because during the second week after treatment, Mom is feeling the worse. It is strange, as soon as that second week is over, Mom's depression goes away. Dr. Bagai wanted to keep an eye on her glucose count this time during treatment. He lowered the dose of one of the steroids that she receives as a pre-chemo drug. Because of this, there could have been a chance of mom having another immediate reaction to the taxotere. So, we watched her for any reaction when she received the taxotere. She seemed to have a slight reaction to the taxotere. She said that this time she felt the medicine going into her body. The nurse kept an eye on Mom for 15 minutes and kept asking questions, but Mom said that the feeling went away and no other reactions occurred. The taxotere was on a 3 hour drip again and then she had the cytoxan for another hour. Mom only has to go through this one more time on May 7th.

I think that I have mentioned before that being in the chemolab is quite an experience. There are all different types of patients in all different levels of treatments. It is always amazing to watch the nurses at work with the patients, too. To make the day even more lively, an older patient passed out in the bathroom. There was a "thud" and one of the nurses said "What the Hell was that?" and all the nurses went running to the restroom. Nurses called for a doctor, they called for a "code blue" at the hospital and called 911. Doctors from the hospital (directly across the street from the Moll Center) came running. The patient came to as the paramedics arrived. He was taken to the emergency room and released a few hours later. Three weeks ago, the paramedics were at the chemolab to take an elderly patient to the hospital. Seeing all that definitely puts my mom's illness into perspective.

On a happier note from the day at the chemolab, my Mom saw another patient who she met at breast cancer seminars provided by the Moll Center. Lori was having her second treatment yesterday. She is under a more aggressive and intensive treatment than my mom, but her attitude is so positive. Lori and my Mom are perfect matches for survivors. They can both spread their positive attitudes to others around them. Mom and I also ran into Lori and her husband at Fairview Hospital yesterday afternoon so they both could get their neulasta injections. I think that contact is so important for any cancer patient. This is just the way that my mom is, she will talk to anyone!