Chemo #1 Day 1 - Infusion

Patients at Doctor's Medical Center in San Pablo get their chemo in the Infusion Room. There's an open area with six recliners side-by-side. There are three chairs for visitors across from the recliners. There really isn't room for the visitor to sit next to the patient. In addition, there are two private rooms reserved for first-timers. Ma got one of these rooms. It has a bed and extra chairs.

Ma's port had healed enough for it to be used. She put some Lidocaine cream on it an hour before her appointment. The nurse started her off with saline, then she was given her pre-meds:

• Zofran IV for nausea
• A shot of Pepcid AC for heartburn/nausea
• Benadryl tablets to prevent allergic reaction to the chemo drug Taxotere
• A shot of Decadron for nausea and possibly for allergy to Taxotere
  

The Taxotere was given first. It took about two hours to infuse. Then came the Cytoxan which took over an hour. Then the port was flushed with saline and Heparin. Ma's appointment started at 8:30. She didn't leave till 2:30. The Taxotere wasn't even started till 10:00. Maybe the next session won't take as long. Because she had to stay past lunch time, she was given lunch. It looked rather bland, and it came with chocolate pudding which she couldn't eat due to her diabetes. I made the supreme sacrifice of eating the pudding myself.

Dr. Irwin, Ma's oncologist, stopped by briefly to see how she was doing. The dietitian stopped by, and I had a long chat with him mostly to learn what diabetics really can eat, not to see what chemo patients should eat. The social worker also stopped by. The nurses were mostly Filipinos (no surprise there) and very nice and friendly. And they all know Pa or had heard of him.

The only side effect Ma had was drowsiness from the Benadryl. No allergic reaction. And no chest pains, unlike one of the patients in the big room. Ma fell asleep from the Benadryl. Her door was propped open, and she was snoring so loudly that I had to jostle the bed every few minute to stop her from snoring. It didn't work. She spent the rest of the day at home resting.