Infusion #1
tl;dr: chemo round 1 is done, and it went about as well as I could have hoped. Now awaiting the side effects which will probably start to ramp up around Weds-Thurs after the steroids clear out.
A brief overview of the infusion day. Yesterday I started premedicating* with some steroids and drinking a lot of water. This morning, I added some tylenol to the premedication to help manage cold discomfort. Check-in at 8:30 to put on the cap and then do 45 minutes of pre-cooling, followed by (ultimately) about 2.5 hours of infusions, then another 90 minutes of post-cooling.
One of the things I have been most anxious about leading up to chemotherapy has been the cold cap. If you peruse the literature, there's good data on cold cap efficacy for regimens like mine, but of course results can vary wildly and depend on things like hair type, how skillfully you apply the cap, exactly how you care for your hair between treatments, and whether you can tolerate 5.5 hours of freezing scalp along with anything else the actual treatment has to throw at you. Oh and the added expense for what is essentially a vanity project. Yesterday I did a few dry runs to get in the practice of putting the cap on. I'm making it extra complicated by also trying to fit in a pair of over-the-ear headphones (the bone vibrating kind, not earbuds -- can't stand anything stuffed into my ears). They're low profile but still irritating especially over time.
The cap itself is actually pretty cool, and if they let me keep it when it's over I'm going to have to think about how to make it into an art object or costume item.
Braaaains...
Unfortunately, this is the inside of the amethyst. The actual vibes of the fully-assembled cap are decidedly less glam.
Anyway, the verdict: the cold cap is not really my favorite accessory and the earphones need some comfort troubleshooting, but the overall experience was certainly tolerable. I only started actually getting cold towards the end, and the chemo care team is kind enough to provide heat packs and warm blankets to stave that off.
So... what about the, y'know, actual chemo part?
It was totally fine.
The IV insertion was great -- I really like how thoroughly competent my nurse Christine is -- she really knows what's up, we found a good vein in an unobtrusive spot so I could still use my hands, so it was almost 100% painless throughout.
The first drug, taxotere (generic = docetaxel) is the one that often produces (sometimes severe) allergic reactions, so Christine titrated it up slowly and checked in a lot. I felt absolutely nothing. So that's a good sign, and means the next treatments may go a little quicker each time as they get more comfortable, assuming I continue to not react.
The second drug, cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) supposedly gives a lot of patients "wasabi nose" but for me the main effect was to start a sinus headache, which was generally not the worst (especially with some more tylenol). As the single notable side effect of the day, I'll take it.
In other news, the accomplishment of the day is Baby's First Crochet:
And that is the chemo report. I'll probably write again later in the week once we've plunged into the depths of post-steroid blues. Now, off for a walk.
Love, Rosemary
*All the talk about premedication has got my language center scrambled. I'm feeling ready to commit some premedicated mischief.