My First Chemotherapy Infusion

September 4 – the Day After

Yesterday was crazy. I have never been more zonked in my life. I had the weirdest chemo dreams after falling asleep to Lord of the Rings. In the first one I felt like I was sleeping on a boat and couldn't move. In the other one, I felt like I was shot. The infusions went well overall. The only uncomfortable part was the last bag, Dacarbazine. It takes an hour and feels a little burny going in. Thank you Adrienne for keeping my mind off of things and entertaining me with chemo trivia. Staying hydrated has definitely been key, along with taking my anti-nausea pills as soon as I feel it coming on. My vision feels a little slow and slightly blurry.

Last night I managed to get a walk in with my brother and talk with a few friends on the phone (hi, Autumn). This morning I even wrote some code for an iOS widget. The effects build up with each treatment, but now that I've gone through the first one, my anxiety has gone way down. Some of the cancer symptoms have eased up, like the severe itching and the sweatiness. Thank you my fellow "LympHomies" for sharing your experiences. It has really helped me deal with the side effects so far. Hopefully the rest of the week goes as easy as today.

The Infusion Experience

• First chemo (ABVD) on September 3rd.

• Was nervous going in.

• Almost passed out at the blood draw due to anxiety.

• Doctors were really reassuring.

• The facilities were nice and I felt comfortable during treatment. Siteman rocks.

• The last drug really took it out of me.

• Main Side effects: tiredness, metallic taste in my mouth, nausea.

Chemo Fun Facts (Thank you Adrienne)

• Adriamycin comes from Italian soil bacteria discovered near a castle overlooking the Adriatic Sea.

• The "B" drug (Bleomycin) comes from a flower in Madagascar. My MIL took my son to the botanical garden in St. Louis during my treatment and they found this fact on a plaque in the greenhouse!