Fighting Breast Cancer

Before continuing, I would like to explain just how toxic Adriamiacin is.  A doctor at a cancer retreat once told me that a nurse at his hospital accidentally spilled a drop of the chemical on her fingernail as she was administering the drug to her patient.  Not only did her nail fall off, but it never grew back!  I can certainly understand why a lot of people are fearful of taking chemotherapy.  They are fearful because they consider it to be poison.  However, I don’t see it like that.  Chemotherapy is medicine.  True, it is a very strong medicine, but it serves a strong purpose and kills cancer.  After all, Tylenol is poison if you take too much of it.  They are going to give me just enough to help, but not enough to kill- just like Tylenol.

Roberta unscrewed the cap of the first large syringe and screwed it into the line of my IV tube.  She slowly put pressure at the end of the the syringe and gently pushed the lovely red color into my veins.  Each syringe took about fifteen minutes to empty.  And then, I was done.  They let me sit with a saline IV for about a half hour to hydrate me.  I sat quietly, not sure how I felt.  Everyone just sort of looked at me expectantly, but I couldn’t really react.  I was in a slight state of shock, I guess.  I was totally aware and conscience, but I just felt so disconnected.  So I smiled and said I was OK and ready to leave.

I was unhooked from the IV and sent on my merry way.  This time, I let Michael drive us home and I closed my eyes for the ride.  Once there, I immediately got ready for bed while my mother started pumping me with various anti-nausea meds and sleeping aids prescribed to me. 

Oh God, here comes the first wave of nausea.  I somehow make it to the bathroom and puke my guts out.  Then I pee and my urine is bright red.  Very Christmasy.  I stumble back to bed and lay there trying to sleep, but I feel wired.  So I just lay there and close my eyes.

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