Chemo Day 1...

My incredible support team at work....Pacific Source is amazing!

Wednesday after getting the port put in I felt like I had been hit by a mac truck. My entire shoulder area was sore, so I camped out on the couch taking pain pills and sleeping. Yesterday when I got back to work I arrived to this beautiful group of people wearing navy blue and their follow your bliss shirts in support of my first day of chemo. I am so completely amazed by the tribe!

I'm doing my chemo (doxorubicin) at BMC. Mom and dad went with me to the first round to hear the consult with the chemo nurse educator prior to starting. It still feels completely surreal. We packed the gift bag from BMC with information papers on what to eat, how to combat fatigue, nausea, pain etc. and loaded my bags with water bottles, and pill boxes it started feeling a little more real. We talked through the usual side effects and the last chance call on fertility. I've decided not to freeze my eggs - it's too expensive and with my polycycstic ovarian syndrome I never was sure I would have my own kids anyway, so it seems like an expensive risk at this point. Besides, kids can come into your life in a variety of ways and there are many kiddos out there who need a magnificent auntie or god-mother! But I'll still admit it made me tear up to think of the reality that my fertility is really drying up now...I can always find sweet babies to snuggle for my baby fix! :)

The best news of the consult...I CAN kayak this summer after all! I just can't lift the kayak or do any speed racing. I'm okay with that. ;-)

The chemo session itself wasn't too bad. I'm still sore from getting the port put in last Wednesday, so my chest was swollen and required a longer needle, but I actually didn't feel it going in. We sat in recliners smiling awkwardly at the few other people in the infusion lab. My sweet nurse Janelle actually lives down the street - small world. The infusion itself was a combination of taking some blood, getting pumped full of liquid, saline flushes, anti-nausea meds, then the pump of red looking jello shots of doxorubicin, followed by more anti-nausea meds and fluids. Sunday morning I go into urgent care for the follow-up shot to keep my white blood cells up. The whole thing took about 4 hours because of the education consultation, the next session should be faster.

My parents and I had a nice dinner while I was still feeling okay, but a few hours after getting home, I began feeling sick. I took more anti-nausea meds and pain pills and inspired my mood while reading the tribe's Facebook comments, emails, texts and looking through cards.

Then the miraculous happened: UPS delievered a Vitamix! I have dreamed of perfect green smoothies done on a Vitamix for years! My cheap blender has never done the job well and I'm sure this will help in so many ways!! I look forward to making my daily green smoothie later! Thank you mysterious gift giver!! :)

 I'm exhausted. I have big plans to sleep, watch funny movies and keep up on anti-nausea meds this weekend in hopes that I won't feel too bad. They say the worst of the nausea is day three...Sunday. We'll see. Thank you again for all the support and being my cheering committee! You guys are the best!