MY 8 CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS
MY 8 CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS
My 1st of these treatments was 4 double chemo treatments, taken on March 12, 2001. The chemotherapy medicines that I was given via my port-a-cath were DOXORUBICIN HYDROCHLORIDE (better known as ADRIAMYCIN or it's shorter name - ADRIA) which was red in color. After that one was given, the 2nd chemotherapy medicine was CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE (better known as CYTOXAN). These treatments were given 3 weeks apart until all four of the doubles had been given.
On "chemo weeks", I would work a 3 day work week, allowing my body plenty of time to rest before going back to work. Resting is very important during chemotherapy, since the chemo kills off some of the good cells, as well as the bad ones. The body needs times to rest and re-group!
I was given Zofran 8 mg. pills to take every 6 hours, as to prevent becoming ill. It did help some but I because physically ill twice a day for the 1st 2 days, after taking the 1st 2 double chemos. I wasn't sick during the 3rd or 4th double chemotherapy sessions, thank the Good Lord above! I was given Ativan in my port-a-cath, during the 2nd chemo session, to help with the sickness.
Each week, I would have to go in and have my finger stuck (OUCH!) to see the level of my white cell count. When it would drop extremely low, I was told to stay out of crowds, due to being susceptible to taking anything and everything. On the day of the 3rd chemo session, my blood level was so low that I couldn't take the chemo, until the next week.
My 4th double chemotherapy session was completed on June 5th, 2001. What a happy day that was :)
On July 2, 2001, I began the 1st of 4 TAXOL chemotherapy, also known as PACLITAXEL. I took each session 3 weeks apart, as long as my white cell count stayed up.
The night before this treatment, I had to take 5 Dexamethasone 4 mg. each pill, which is a steroid, and then take 5 more Dexamethasone 4 mg. the morning of the treatment. Due to the Dexamethasone giving me too much energy and keeping me awake at night, during the 2nd session of taking the Taxol, the Dexamethason was given in my IV, through the port-a-cath. It was given in that way because the body usually rids itself of liquid medicines faster than in pill form. However, I still was using up too much energy and losing sleep. The steroids are a "must" to use with the Taxol, but they didn't agree with me at all.
I was given Darvocet pain pill medication to help with the bone and joint pain that Taxol causes one to have for one week long.
I was also given Neurontin Cap pills in 300 mg. to relieve the slight numbness that had occured in my toes and fingers, from the Taxol Chemo. After 1 didn't work very well, my oncologist had me take 2 of the Neurontin Cap pills, 300 mg. each, at bedtime. That didn't really take away the slight numbness, so with the oncologist's permission, I quit taking the Neurontin medicine a few months after I was finished with the chemotherapy.
My 4th and final Taxol chemotherapy was taken on September 4th, 2001! WHOOOOO-HOOOOOO!!! What a wonderful feeling to know that I had completed all the chemotherapy sessions that were prescribed for me!
I truly thank God and Jesus for being with me throughout all the chemo sessions, for without Him, I would not have done as well as I did! He is my everything and truly takes care of me, as well as all of His children!!!
If you are interested in reading about the side effects of the chemo's, please click onto "My Side Effects From Chemo".
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