Monday, 29 April 2013
Round # 2
For the remaining Chemo treatments Laurice starts the day with a blood test, they do this to make sure her white blood cell count is at an acceptable level and that she is not fighting any infections. We arrived at 9:00am to get blood taken. Laurice hates any sort of needles, but she is getting better at dealing with it each time. Marrisa the head of the oncology unit does not mess around, she found a vein first try and was soon drawing blood. Then it was off to visit Prof Collins, the breast surgeon for a check up. We had an hour to wait for the blood work results then back to visit Michael Green Laurice's Oncologist. His office was backed up and they were running late so had to wait until 11:30 to see him, he asked how Laurice was doing and she said "fantastic! never better!"
By 12 noon Laurice was seated in an arm chair and beginning the pre-meds for her chemo treatment. They use the same line they used for her blood test. I think the chemo nurses must have a done a plumbing apprenticeship because they had tubes and valves and pumps running all over the place. it took a few minutes but Laurice finally realised that Marissa put the IV line in the back of Laurice's hand so she couldn't type! "that's my computer hand!" Rahani the Chemo nurse told Laurice she could do without her computer for a couple of hours and just chill out! So Laurice called for her a"Special French Chemo" and so I hooked her up below. . .
We were worried what the other patients would think but there were calls of "I'll have what she's having!! One of the other patients said that she was going home to drink her champers and will be doing the same thing at her next treatment.
Now for the technical stuff; Since Laurice had an allergic reaction to the Taxotere on the first round, this time she was given oral antihistamine (Fenrgen) and an IV course of the the anti nausea medications and interestingly IV Zantac (which apparently helps the gut handle the Taxotere). This cocktail was then washed down with a big bag of saline. They then started the Cyclophospamide, apart from a slight metallic taste and a cold arm Laurice handled this OK.
The Fenergen was kicking in, Laurice was feeling good like she had just polished off a bottle of red, she was giggling and talking crap so we figured she was ready for the 2nd Chemo drug Taxotere. Laurice kept begging me to get her a coffee, but as many of you know she is a coffee snob and I couldn't just go down stairs and get her a Hudson's coffee, no, she made me go a few blocks away to get s boutique coffee! Of course while I'm away she texted me to say they were starting the Taxotere, so I raced back (and since I'm not exactly in peak condition it took some effort!!) I got back in time to see three nurses standing around Laurice to see if she would react to the Taxotere again. . . Laurice did not disappoint!! within a couple of minutes she started to feel like her chest and head where being crushed, she turned red and got hot , the nurses were ready and had pumped her with drugs to reverse the effects.
They let Laurice sit for another hour flushing her with saline and then giving her IV fenergen this time, Laurice was already feeling a bit silly and giggly, when across the room a nurse was bending down behind a patients recliner chair to plug in a cable, just then the elderly patient decided he wanted to get out of the chair, he reached for the chair's controls and pressed the wrong button, The chair reclined and the nurse was pinned between the wall and the chair with her bum in the air legs kicking and little cries of help! help!. Well I expected the two caring nurses looking after Laurice to jump into action and save their colleague, instead they burst out laughing!, Laurice already feeling a bit silly started laughing also, all three of them had tears of laughter flowing down their cheeks! The poor woman got released from behind the chair and Laurice's nurses had to turn away because they started laughing and convulsing again!. Ahh life on the chemo ward. .
By 4pm we were done, Laurice was feeling a little tired but no nausea, a few aches (side effect of the chemo is that the joints and back aches) she got home and fell asleep quickly.
This morning as a bright golden sunrise was breaking over the hills, some hot air balloons drifted above the light mist hanging over the Yarra Valley signalling another beautiful day was on the way, and we got past another treatment.
And to Team Laurice . . .THANK YOU SO MUCH for the all the meals, love and support from both near and far, it all goes a long way in helping with the healing process and we thank you!
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