First Chemo Treatment

We got to the Dr's office around 915 yesterday morning, needless to day Dustin was a little nervous regarding the unknown of his first chemo treatment.  After we saw the Dr (whom, I just love, Thanks again Uncle Jim!!!) and he told us his Echo and Pulmonary Function tests were normal, we made our way to St. John's hospital for the dreaded chemo. 

I don't know what he was more nervous about.....the actual chemo or the nurse accessing his port for the first time.  We made our way into the hospital prepared for the side effects of dry mouth, bad tastes and boredom.  We were equipped with jolly ranchers, peppermints, teddy grahams, his water bottle his I-Pod and I had 2 books.  We were told his treatment would take about 4 hours, and some of the medicine would cause immediate dry mouth and or a bad taste in his mouth, so eating hard candy would help, but not candy you really like because if you got sick you may not ever eat that candy again.  We got to his chair about 1100, by the time the nurse finished with his paperwork and ordered his meds it was 1200.  When she came to access his port, he was in bathroom and I warned her he was a little nervous about her accessing his "virgin" port, she was sweet and said she would be easy.  He was relieved to find out you can't even feel it when they access the port. 

Now came a waiting game....we had to wait on his meds to come from the pharmacy, they did not arrive until around 2.  He has 4 meds he has to take, his cocktail (or Spidey Jucies as he so named them yesterday) is abbreviated ABVD, this is the common cocktail for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.  Fortunately 2 of the meds only took 10 minutes, 1 takes 30 minutes and the other takes an hour, so it didn't take 4 hours for the meds, it only took about 2.

He did really good during the treatment, he ate his jolly ranchers and drank his water (no Dr. Pepper for him all day, he didn't want to chance getting sick on Dr. Pepper and never wanting it again....can you imagine!!).  He was fine until we started home, then he got really tired, and he took about an hour nap.  When we got home he went straight to bed, he said he just so tired.  He slept for a while then he got up coughing (one of the meds affects the lungs), but he was able to go back to bed.  Other than being tired, so far he is OK today, but we are told the bad day will be tomorrow, so we shall see.

This is Day 1 of the hair watch.....he still has a full head.....none has fallen out over night...lol

Waiting for Meds

Not the best pic, but I love his smile :-)

;-) Delana