Chemotherapy Day 1

18th April, 2012

The heavens opened up on the morning of Chris’s 1^st chemo appointment. We decided to ourselves that it was like a cleansing & a new beginning as it really bucketed down the entire day.

Anyway, Chris, Susie Magda & I all made our way to the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Clinic. We were all super anxious and just trying to keep ourselves together (on the outside) especially for Chris.

Once we arrived, it just happened to be one of the busiest days ever at the clinic. We waited from 9.30am till around 12.00pm just to be seen. 

In the waiting room there was a basket full of the most gorgeous little knitted teddy bears & it’s like they were placed there as Chris’s guardians.. It was really auspicious.

The nurses were whipping around like wildfire, from patient to patient, administering their chemo.

Eventually, after much sitting around & anxiously waiting, Chris’s name was called. This was it! 

I went in with Chris & a lovely Irish nurse began by measuring Chris’s weight & taking her vitals. A blood test was taken yesterday & the Dr had previously looked at the results to decide whether she could take the chemo today. They do this to look at the percentage of Neutrophils (white blood cells) among other things. We were told that with this treatment they expect her white blood count to eventually drop to 0, which means that Chris will have a poor immune system, so, 0 chance of fighting off any type sickness or infection. 

We were seated in the chemo ward where there were lazy boy recliners with a guest chair on one side & an IV pole on the other. I guess they want to make patients as comfortable as possible, even though Chris’s chair was broken and quite uncomfortable (for the length of time she had to sit on it + faux leather gets kind of sticky when you’re feeling hot from the chemo).

Chemo obviously causes nausea and vomiting, so before we knew it Chris was provided with her pre meds. This included anti nausea, steroid tablets +an acid reflux liquid to drink. 

The nurse started a saline solution drip for Chris, prior to introducing the Chemo.

Chris was introduced to the Pharmacist, who came over to talk to Chris about the Chemo side effects + the side effects of the pre + post meds that she also needed to take. She then left Chris with a bunch of discharge meds to take home to take over the next couple of days.

Adriamycin

Chris & I sat together as the nurse explained the procedure. She started with the Adriamycin. We both watched as she started to push (that means slowly inject it into her PICC line) in what looked like a large turkey baster.. Yes, it was freaky... OMG, just watching cytotoxic chemicals twirl around the line, making its way closer & closer into Chris’s body was scary but then it entered & she didn’t spontaneously combust, she was Ok.. So far so good. I mean, this stuff even looks evil, its bright red & has the nickname of ‘The red devil’. However, the great news is that this particular drug is the one that actually hits the cancer the hardest.. Woot!

The Adriamycin is known to cause mouth sores. To help prevent this you can suck on ice or iceblocks. Chris loved the idea and opted for the paddle pop lemonade ice blocks. I think she had one in her mouth the whole time it was being administered, which was great, I mean who wants mouth sores. 

Warning it really is RED and it turns your urine RED too. Chris’s nurse did let her know this so she didn’t freak out. Chris also had to go to the toilet a lot as they were pumping so much saline into her. Yup, that means dragging along your IV pole & lines too.. It was like a funny waltz..a dance of madness between Chris, the IV pole, her lines and the toilet.

Another good point that we had read was — do NOT eat your favourite foods on or around chemo day because you can start associating them with chemo.



What’s up next Bleomycin –let’s hear it for Bleomycin!  

This one also comes out in a turkey baster type syringe but is much smaller than the Adriamycin. Bleo is pushed in slowly, the same way as the Adriamycin. The Bleo is a clear, looks utterly harmless but this is the drug that’s known for causing damage to the lungs.


Next cab off the rank was Vinblastine 

It also comes out in the turkey baster type syringe. The Vinblastine is pushed in slowly, the same way as the other two. Vinblastine is clear in colour & its main side effect is nerve damage.

And finally the Dastardly Dacarbazine

The Dastardly D drug came out in a black bag. This is to protect it from exposure to light. This is the one that was most likely to make you sick to your stomach.  Dacarbazine causes nausea and vomiting in about 90%+ of people treated with it who don’t receive it with anti-nausea tablets. 

At around 15 minutes into the Dacarbazine, Chris started to feel itchy, scratching at her chest & neck. She also started feeling hot & began to sweat. She told the nurse & straight away the nurse stopped the Dacarbazine & just ran the saline. The nurse called over the Dr who advised her to just run the saline for a ½ hour & then to slowly reintroduce the Dacarbazine. They also gave her an antihistamine tablet to assist with the itching.

We all felt pretty grateful..Thinking if this was the worst she’d feel during the treatment, then that wasn’t too bad.

During the treatment, Chris was pretty hyper which probably had something to do with the steroids they give her to assist her to get through the treatment.

Chris was sucking back ice blocks like no tomorrow & she even had a small meal whilst the treatment was going.. Yaye!

The nurses were amazing. Only one visitor per patient was allowed but they let two of us in because it was Chris’s first time. We all swapped around throughout the day, Magda, Rob, Susie & I, that way we could all spend some time with Chris throughout her treatment. 

So the last of the Dacarbazine went in Ok & finally we were ready to roll out of there. After a good 9 hours, such a long day indeed but that’s round 1 out the way!

It’s funny, because I kept looking at Chris waiting for something to suddenly happen but she was mostly Ok, phew what a RELIEF.

Once we got home we all just chilled. I gave Chris her sleeping tablet around 9.30pm to try to help her sleep. Chris finally slept until around 4.00am, when she woke up with a bit of a sore tummy. I made her a cup of tea and she also drank a cup of prune juice. We later popped back up to bed and she eventually slept soundly until about 9.00am.
 

A strong person is not the one who doesn't cry. A strong person is one who is quiet and sheds tears for a moment, and then picks up her sword and fights again..

Anonymous

PICC line Insertion

17^th April, 2012

After the chemotherapy education, the nurse grabbed Chris to insert the PICC line. Susie went in with Chris for moral support & shot an amazing video of the whole procedure (as seen below).

A PICC line is a long, thin, flexible tube known as a peripheral catheter. It is inserted into one of the large veins of the arm near the bend of the elbow. It is then pushed through the vein until the tip sits in a large vein just above the heart.

The PICC line is useful as it can stop veins from withering away from constant chemotherapy treatment (the chemo can ruin your veins). So, by having the PICC line inserted, it basically means less pricks for Chris (blood tests will still need to be done the usual way) & a few saved veins.

Chemotherapy education day..

17th April, 2012
 
Today was the chemotherapy education day. Chris, Magda, Susie & myself all bundled into the car & made our way to the Crown Princess Mary Cancer clinic.

Once we got there we were ushered into a room where they played a 25 minute video about chemotherapy. The video showed the personal experience of other patients...what to expect, side effects, costs etc.

It was quite emotional, the room was filled with recently diagnosed patients & their families. Yes, we all got a bit teary, I mean, this was not a feel good movie but we all know that this treatment is necessary & yes, this treatment is what will kill the cancer, yaye!

After the video, the pharmacist chatted further about chemo i.e. what to do when your side effects get dangerous, one in particular that he was referring to was as soon as your temperature reaches 38 degrees = get your ass straight back to hospital as you could be neutropenic, see little explanation below "Neutropenia"

Neutropenia is a condition in which the number of neutrophils in the bloodstream is decreased. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cells, so neutropenia affects the body's ability to fight off infections.

He also talked about the process of mixing up the different types of chemo treatments & how some particular treatments can take a while to prepare (included one of Chris's), therefore, there can be a long ass wait time. Chris’s first treatment tomorrow is estimated to take 6 hours.

It amazes me that these drugs were originally used as weapons of mass destruction (i.e. nitrogen mustard gas) yet now they can be used to somehow cure this debilitating disease, scary & incredible.

See picture below mixing chemo "Oh really" lol.

Me & my baby, Ah I love that smile....

My adorable Chris & the beautiful Magda!

Feeling grateful .....

I was just thinking about how extraordinary people are, that when family, friends & even strangers hear about Chris's situation, it honestly brings out some of the most beautiful qualities in people.

We are both so grateful for everyone's well wishes, love & support, you know it really does honestly help & it is so very heartening.

So today, we really just want to say thank you for all your support. Yes, this will be a bit of a journey but without all you, the road ahead would seem so much longer.

You all know who you are & how you have touched our lives.

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve 

Updates...

April 15^th 2012,

Since Easter, we have been preparing both physically & mentally for the chemotherapy.  I went & bought vital greens powder, full of vitamin super foods to help boost Chris’s immune system.

Unfortunately, Chris has been feeling pretty terrible all of this past week. The cancer seems to be spreading. The lymph glands under her left arm are now quite swollen & have increased in size. It makes for uncomfortable sleeping & movement, in general. I am so aware when we are in bed that she is uncomfortable as she tosses & turns through the night.

The past week, she hasn’t gone to work but has worked from home a couple of days. Chris is constantly running a fever & her energy levels are low as she is really lethargic.

Really, the treatment couldn’t come soon enough, seriously, enough is enough, and it’s time for these suckers to die!!

We are both anxious about the treatment (how the side effects may specifically effect Chris) but it is necessary, as it’s the only way for Chris to start to heal.

And heal she will!!! Fingers crossed, in 6 months, this will all be behind us!

We have a date..........

April 5th, 2012,

Chris got a call advising that she was booked in for chemo on the 18th April, 2012, & prior to that they had her booked in for chemo education on the 17th. Chris was also booked in for more blood tests & another ECG on the 11th + a PICC Line was going to be inserted on one of those dates.

The type of chemotherapy treatment that Chris will be receiving will be ABVD (Adriamycin, Bleomycin,Vinblastine and Dacarbazine). This is to be given every 14 days. Under the clinical trial she will undergo two cycles of chemotherapy (which is two months) then she will undergo another PET scan to see how the treatment is progressing & then under go further chemotherapy.

So, we could start off Easter with a planned date to kill off these suckers. We all felt better about that & planned to have a nice relaxing Easter spending time together at Susie's wonderful house, in Balmain. All the Michaels family came together, to eat & just be together, it was so perfect. It's funny, people say you never appreciate what you have & I tell you, it's so true.
We were all cherishing every moment together. We all couldn't love Chris anymore if we tried.
Throughout this process, she has rarely broken down & maintains strength & positivity throughout...she really is something!

Back to the Haematologist..........

3rd April, 2012,

Apt with the Haematologist aka Dr Blood.....So yes, it was the day we had all been waiting for..Chris, Magda, Susie & I were all there, yes we are a force to be reckoned with! So Dr Blood started to talk about Chris's bone marrow biopsy & we were all on the edge of our seats. He told us her bone marrow was clear... Ah big sigh, phew, this was fantastic! He went on to say that even though there was a small spot showing in her spleen & below her diaphragm, he would not be changing her staging. He asked her about how she felt about the clinical trial & she let him know that yes, she will participate in it. The trial would also help future patients with Hodgkins Lymphoma & Chris liked the idea of that.

We talked to him further about natural therapies, as we had read about the B17 apricot kernels & spoke to him about Chris seeing an oncologist naturopath that helps people strengthen their immune systems prior & during chemo. He said yes, pursue this but just to let him know exactly what herbs were prescribed, as some could counteract with the chemo. We all felt good with Dr blood & we felt like he was our new "god". The man with the plan to help us kill off the Lymphoma.

The Dr doesn't yet have a start date for Chris's chemo treatment & we were a little disheartened about that but he told us, Chris would get a call tomorrow & the nurse from the clinical trial would book her in as soon as possible.