carolmcb's Cancer Blog
November 10, 2007
Well, yesterday was my long chemo treatment. That is Taxol and Avastin.
The week before, I went in to chemo feeling very ill already. That was the first time that I didn’t feel well before the treatment. As my chemo nurse warned me, if you fell ill before, you are certainly going to feel very ill after. Well, she was right. Last weekend was one of the worst after any of my chemo treatments.
Yesterday, I went in feeling rather well. I had the treatments and, amazingly, I’m still waiting for the side effects. It’s Saturday morning and I’m still feeling well. This has never happened after a chemo treatment. I have always had side effects. Other than snoozing off for 2 hours on the sofa yesterday afternoon, I haven’t even had fatigue. Of course, now, instead of enjoying this, I’m worried. Are the side effects just lurking waiting to strike? Did I get the correct chemo drugs? I have got to stop being silly.
It was somewhat interesting to see the effects of the medical center’s usual “screw ups” on my husband yesterday. Since it was a day that chemo included Avastin as well as Taxol, I have to have a urinalysis and well as blood work. After the “port nurse” set me up and takes my blood, I have to go down a long corridor to a little bathroom and donate my urine specimen. You then pass it through a little metal door into the lab. Well, the little door wouldn’t open. It was locked. So, I had to take it back down to the “port nurse” who was busy with other patients. It took about 10 minutes to give it to her so she could get it the lab. We then went down to the chemotherapy suite to wait and wait. I had an early appointment in chemo, 9:30. It was the first early appointment I had been able to get. Why, I don’t know since, it turns out, they are never very busy in the mornings—just afternoons. Give me morning appointments please!
Well anyway, we were there about 20 minutes and one of the nurses came out and said that they were just waiting on my urinalysis. This meant my blood work was done. My husband decided to take a walk and get some coffee and smoke a cigarette. This means he’s gone for another 20 minutes. During this time, my favorite chemo nurse comes out to tell me they are calling to find out what has happened to my urinalysis results. I’m still waiting when my husband comes back. He’s all upbeat about it, no problem. A few minutes later, he tells me he’s sure that there can’t be any problems with the results. A few minutes later, he’s telling me again he’s sure it’s OK. Then, he starts to worry. He winds up more worried than I was. We had already seen one patient sent back up to the cancer clinic based on her test results. He always tries to put on his—everything is going to be fine hat—well he lost his hat for a while yesterday. Well, eventually, they found my results and I got my treatment.
Next week is my off week and then—in depth testing to see how this is going. This looming now that the last chemo for this round is over. This means CAT scans and bone scans to see if the chemo has done any good at all. I know that I can’t do anything to change what is going to happen but the news may not be good. The oncologist has said that we will have to make some hard decisions based on the results of the tests.
Well, I’m going to try and enjoy my week off.
Thanks for your support - 
Oh Carol, I wish there was something I could say to make you feel better. Staying positive is such a hard thing to do especially when you’re waiting on test results. Just know you are fervently in my prayers. Enjoy your off week and try hard not to worry. Hugs…Grace