chemotherapy is
my mom and i take the long way to the florida hospital cancer institute. lately, as i gaze out of my window, i imagine am a volunteer trash collector, riding my bike and spearing discarded soda cans into my bag. when we arrive, we park and sometimes my mom gets me a wheelchair from inside and sometimes i use my walker.
we go up to the fourth floor and sign in. then i sign something that sayd i consent to treatment. when i'm called back into the chemo rrom, a tech weighs me, takes my blood pressure and temperture . the chemo rooms are divided into letters. i tend to be in d. in each room, there are five chairs or beds where people go. we each have one of those hospital eating tray things and a moveable tv with cable.
now its time for premeds, the medication before the medication. i get zofran which is an anti-nausea drug and benadryl, which i believe is supposed to calm me down [it completely knocked me on my ass my first treatment]. but first, they have to access my port. a port is this small circular thing that was inserted under my skin. its in my upper left chest. i receive all meds through it; they draw blood through it etc. etc. the inside is hooked up directly to a main vein near my heart or something. its just a little device to make it easier on everyone; i dont have to endure multiple tries at finding an arm vein; nurses dont have to hurt me trying to find an arm vein; its quicker; blah blah blah.
i wouldn't say accessing the port hurts. its just a little pinch or a big pinch, depending on who my nurse is. one time, it took 3 nurses and several bed adjustments.
i get two different chemo drugs. each takes about an hour. in those two hours, i sleep, watch tv, eat graham crackers and drink my choice of 4 delicious juices. and then i go home.
wheee.
we go up to the fourth floor and sign in. then i sign something that sayd i consent to treatment. when i'm called back into the chemo rrom, a tech weighs me, takes my blood pressure and temperture . the chemo rooms are divided into letters. i tend to be in d. in each room, there are five chairs or beds where people go. we each have one of those hospital eating tray things and a moveable tv with cable.
now its time for premeds, the medication before the medication. i get zofran which is an anti-nausea drug and benadryl, which i believe is supposed to calm me down [it completely knocked me on my ass my first treatment]. but first, they have to access my port. a port is this small circular thing that was inserted under my skin. its in my upper left chest. i receive all meds through it; they draw blood through it etc. etc. the inside is hooked up directly to a main vein near my heart or something. its just a little device to make it easier on everyone; i dont have to endure multiple tries at finding an arm vein; nurses dont have to hurt me trying to find an arm vein; its quicker; blah blah blah.
i wouldn't say accessing the port hurts. its just a little pinch or a big pinch, depending on who my nurse is. one time, it took 3 nurses and several bed adjustments.
i get two different chemo drugs. each takes about an hour. in those two hours, i sleep, watch tv, eat graham crackers and drink my choice of 4 delicious juices. and then i go home.
wheee.