Oncology nurses move really fast!

Today is chemo #2. I feel good. I have my bag with my snacks, my lunch, my magazines and my fuzzy blanket. I came early as roads were slick this morning. So after I did labs I went downstairs and had breakfast. Bacon before chemo! Met with my oncologist, got the good to go for chemo!!

Today I am in a really comfy recliner, right next to the nurses station. Andi gets me hooked up. I start with Benadryl and Steroids. Next comes Avastin. After 30 minutes, my port gets flushed and I start the Taxol, which takes 3 hours. Ok, time for lunch. Then as I am tired, I tried to nap. No luck, its too noisy. Alarms from other patients IV trees keep going off.

Suddenly new alarms are going off. The guy directly across from me is having a bad reaction to his Taxol. I can't see anything as thanks to Covid-19 we have to have all the curtains pulled. But I can hear the nurses. They are fast. They are calm. They react as a team, each one handling a different part of his recovery. He gets better. He is talking better. They continue to monitor him.

My Taxol is done, my port gets flushed. I get my last drug, Carboplatin. I have had this before. It lasts 30 minutes. I can hear the nurses checking on the guy across from me. I'm looking on Facebook. About half way thru, my hands start to burn and itch BAD. My feet are itching BAD. Andi is walking by and glances in at me. She sees my face, whips the curtain open and asks if I can breathe. Other nurses come really fast with an oxygen tank, another with the blood pressure cuff and oxygen monitor, and another with a handful of syringes. I tell Andi my hands and feet just started itching really bad. I tell her it feels heavy in my chest. Nurses are putting the stuff on me. I am being given steroids and Benadryl to stop the reaction and keep my throat from closing up. I get the oxygen tube in my nose.

OMG! Why now? It was scary. After about 15 minutes my heart beat is returning to normal rhythm, my oxygen level is coming back up, the itchiness is gone, my chest is still heavy but better. I tell Andi I am texting my brother Mike to come get me. I drove myself today. She tells me, "Yes you are, you are not driving". I have to stay 30 more minutes to be watched. I have to use the bathroom, lots of fluids have been run through my IV. Andi says she is coming with me. Ok. At home I don't go alone, the cats come with.

After 30 minutes I am cleared to leave. I text Mike to come get me. Andi asks if I want a wheelchair ride down. NOPE, I can walk. She says I am coming with you. She does and stays until she hands me off to my brother. Julie dropped him off and will meet us at my house, so I can get my car home. Valet was short many guys, only had 2 today, they did great.

What a day! I am tired. I am not hungry, but I did eat supper. I know I will never get Carboplatin again. I wonder what I will get on my next chemo on December 7th? I am so thankful for my Oncology nurses. They rock! All of my medical team is wonderful. I thank God that he gave them to me. I am still here!