Category: Chemo cyle #1

Waiting to go in.

I’m sure CHOP is a great name in Spanish. In English it sounds not so great. I guess they are going to karate chop the cancer cells.

My code name for chemo is Wasabi. I hate saying chemo or treatment.

It starts at 9:00 and while saying I’m excited would be incorrect, I am happy to be starting because the sooner it starts the sooner it ends.

The entire thing should be about fours hours from start to finish. I’m packing my backpack as if I’m going for days.

Sven my support sloth is coming, along with Jeff, snacks, books, phone games, downloaded true crime docuseries, and most important an ice cooler!

My biggest concern is neurathapy which is nerve problems to your hands and feet. One thing that is supposed to help is icing your hands and feet. This infusion place doesn’t offer this so I have to bring my own.

Jeff and I were joking that we should put some Bud Lights in the cooler and tell people that as Americans we don’t go anywhere without beer.

My port installation went well. It was a short surgery that I was drugged up for. I don’t remember anything about it except yelling out ouch at one point.

The port is under the skin so when the incision heals it will look like a bump under my skin.

I also woke up wearing this plastic bracelet that I’m pretty sure it’s an advertisement for the brand of port they installed.

It’s weird because it’s not like I had a choice of brands.

Later I had to get. A chest xray. I’m not completely sure why but it better not be to see if its in right.

It hurts a bit but not so much I can’t sit on the balcony.

OK we have a plan. And it’s a good one.

This Friday I get the port. That is going to be like a mini surgery. I won’t be put under, but will be drugged up. I better be VERY drugged up if I’m going to be awake for it.

It’s going to be inserted under my skin (gross) so I have to heal from that a bit. Then the following week I start chemo. It’s going to be 4 times, each 3 weeks apart.

The way they explained it is like this:

1. Get a blood test the day before to make sure everything is good.
2. Day of meet with oncologist in the morning.
3. Then start the infusion. It lasts 4 hours! It will include the chemo drugs but also anti nausea meds and allergy meds. I can have snacks, watch movies, sleep, play with my phone during it. Jeff will come with me as well.
4. The first week after my immune system will be shot and I’ll be tired and nauseous. But week 2 and 3 I should feel better.
5. Then at 21 days repeat with step 1.

Jeff and I have got ready by having a great long weekend doing fun stuff and buying these great chair for me to be able to relax in. Of course we got two so that Jeff can entertain me while I relax.

My appointment with my chemo doctor is on Friday. I’m hoping to get a plan of action going at that appointment. I am not sure yet if I need a port or not.

A port from what I understand is like an electrical plug they put under your skin so they can just plug you in for chemo and blood tests instead of always finding a vein. Neither sound good, too bad this type of chemo isn’t in pill form.

I’ve also started to wig shop. It’s amazing how expensive good wigs are. But, that’s the beauty of working from home (I’m going to try to work a bit to distract me during chemo) and knowing very few people here. No one knows me and will notice that that woman with the long blonde hair is actually wearing a cheap Halloween wig.

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Turns out I need chemo. Both my San Fran and Panama doctors agree.

I haven’t updated the blog in awhile because i was trying to find a way and reason to avoid chemo.

But there is no avoiding it so I’m doing it and going to rock some cool wigs.

First I need another PET scan where they put the nuclear stuff in a vein. That will decide if I’m currently cancer free and getting preventative chemo, or if it’s already come back and I’m getting kill the cancer chemo.

Either way I’m going to kick cancer to the curb.

Here’s the current plan.

We are back in Panama after a Chicago visit to see Jan (Jeff’s mom). She is still in rehab working to get her legs and left arm working again. But she is in good spirits and doing her PT.

Radioactive test on Thur.

Results on Monday

Chemo doctor consult next week.

Stay in Panama and get that chemo going.

Rock wigs

5-6 months be done with this and travel around Panama!