First Chemo Session

Short Version

I was at Stanford from 8:40 am to 5:00 pm for a blood test, visit with oncologist, and chemo. The drugs were given in this order -- Perjeta, Herceptin and Taxotere. I got slight diarrhea and cramping as soon as the Taxotere infusion ended. The only pre-med given to me was 8 mg Zofran in pill form. As soon as I got home, I took another Zofran and two Imodium.

Very Long Version

First thing in the morning, I applied EMLA cream on my port area around 7 am to numb it up. My appointment for the blood test was at 8:40. I still felt the needle when it was inserted, but it wasn't too bad.

My visit with the oncologist was at 9:30. My weight is down to 103. It had been 114 in early October when I first found my tumor. The weight loss is due mostly to anxiety, but I've also been fasting for my chemo.

My blood glucose was 170 mg/dL due to dexamethasone. That's very high. It's supposed to drop after I stop taking dexamethasone. I have one more day to take it.

Chemo was late getting started. Appointment was at 10:30, didn't get called til 11:00, then had to wait for doctor's orders, then wait for the pharmacy to fulfill the order. Also Mondays and Fridays are busy days at the infusion center.

The nurse gave me an overview of the drugs and side effects. Eventually she asked me if I worked in the medical field because I either asked good questions or already knew the answers. Several doctors and nurses have asked me the same question. I always confess I just google a lot.

I have to get a covid test before every chemo. They forgot to order one for my first chemo.

I wore a big shirt for port access. It worked out fine. I was thinking of making my own chemo shirt by modifying a t-shirt with a velcro opening on the right side for the port, but there's no need.

I was given only one pre-med -- 8 mg Zofran for nausea. I'm surprised they gave me a pill, not an IV.

Meds didn't start till 12:09. I thought I would receive the meds in this order: Taxotere, Herceptin, Perjeta. Instead it's the reverse order. Perjeta first for 60 minutes followed by 30 minutes of observation for reactions, then 90 minutes of Herceptin, then 60 minutes of Taxotere.

The needle in my port gave me intermittent mild pain. Sometimes shifting my position made the pain go away. Receiving the IV drugs did not hurt.

When I got the Taxotere, I put ice packs on my hands and feet to prevent neuropathy. I put an ice pack on my head to minimize hair loss. I chewed on ice chips to prevent mouth sores. Don't know if any of them will work.

As soon as the Taxotere infusion ended, I got stomach cramps and slight diarrhea. The cramps got so bad I thought I would throw up, and that was while I was still at the hospital. I took 2 Imodium when I got home.

Last step at the hospital was a Neulasta patch called Onpro. Chemo lowers your white blood cells, making you susceptible to infections. Neulasta raises your white blood cells. Then Onpro Patch automatically injects you with Neulasta 27 hours after it's applied. It feels weird applied on my belly.

Removing the needle from my port stung a bit. I didn't expect that. There was some slight intermittent pain for a few hours.

I took 8mg Zofran for nausea when I got home and at midnight. This was not in the list of instructions given to me. I had to ask the nurse. My instructions said to take Zofran every 8 hours starting tomorrow. I'm not waiting till tomorrow. I'm also not going to wait till I feel sick because Zofran takes 2 hours to take effect.

I've been trying my own version of the fasting-mimicking diet to help minimize side effects and was disappointed it didn't prevent diarrhea. I also didn't expect the side effect to start so soon. I thought it would happen a day or two later. I suppose it would have been worse if my stomach was not empty.