On the day before a treatment I have blood tests in Campbellford if every thing is OK I start my pill routine at 11 pm with 5 small white pills taken with a snack called Dexamethasone (an anti nausea pill). I will call them stars.
On the treatment day at 5 am I take 5 more stars with breakfast. have my shower and pack a lunch and my knitting and leave for Kingston at 6 am. If you don't get there by 8 you can't find a place to park.
I register and get the forms for more blood work which is done in a small room off the waiting room. Also get a card which tells you how to fill out and print an ESAE form on the computer in the waiting room. This is a "How do you feel today" quick rate with 0-10 answers to about 10 questions eg fatige level depression, pain anxiety etc. anxiety was my highest at 4 as I suffer from "white coat syndrum". Then a nurseing student gets you and they take your weight and she asks some general questions and looks at the ESAE. Then the Oncologist nurse Lou comes and asks more detailed questions. Then you see the Oncologist Dr. Biagi who reports on the blood tests (all good) and answers questions and adviseds on treatment of side effects. Then there is usually time after checking in at the chemo room for a quick coffee break (I have a bananna and a drink John has coffee) before your chemo nurse comes to get you.
She gives you two Ondansecton pills (anti nausea) which are small ovel light brown pills the nurses call footballs. She then hooks up an IV of saline solution and then a 15 min bag of Prochlorperazine (more anti nausea drugs) then a 15 min bag of Benadryl to prevent alergic reaction then the big one a 3 hour bag of Paclitaxel cancer drug and lastly a one hour bag of Carboplatin another cancer drug. During this treatment they take your blood preasure about once an hour and I am all over the place from 147 to 190! I knit if I can.
No comments:
Post a Comment