Firsts and Last

This week's chemo was made up of some firsts and one last. First, the firsts.

This was the first time I used my newly installed port to receive chemo. It was kind of weird at first because they inserted the IV needle like a thumbtack into my arm. That was strange and a little disconcerting. They kindly numbed the area before inserting the needle, so that was good. But it was weird to watch them insert it. It would have come in handy if there was any little note that they needed to post to remind them of anything. As it was, they just used it to administer the chemo.

The other first was the administration of something to raise my red blood cell count. My doctor pointed out that this week's blood test showed that I was a little anemic this time. After last week's chemo, I'd also experienced my heart racing anytime I exerted myself even a little. We decided to try the shot to see if it would help. Unfortunately, it takes a couple of weeks to kick in, so I can't really tell a difference yet.

Receiving that shot was not the most pleasant experience I've had. It was like getting a really long bee sting. You keep wanting to swat the bee away, but you know that the sting is going to help you in the long run. Not pleasant. But not completely horrible either. You find, in these circumstances, that you can tolerate more than you expected.

The chemo session was pretty normal... with the exception of the thumbtack administration. Actually, that was kind of nice. Before, it was administered into the back of my hand... which meant I had to keep my wrist perfectly still for the entire time. It was nice to be able to move around a bit. Cathy and I even played cards. And I kicked her butt!! Oh. Sorry. I got a little competitive there.

Anyway, the thing that was a last was my chemo treatment. Or, more specifically, that particular chemo treatment. Yes, this week was the last of my AC treatment. Next time, I start on Taxol. This means that I am halfway through my chemo treatment. (Insert mini-celebration here.) I'm glad to be done with the AC. It was getting harder and harder to recover each time. Even today, I'm not fully recovered. By tomorrow or Wednesday, I should be back to feeling 100% again. But today, I'm still a little tired.

This week, Cathy flew in from Florida to accompany me to chemo and keep me company in the days the followed. I'm afraid that I wasn't the best hostess this time around. She didn't seem to mind though. ;) Saturday, I slept the entire day. That's all I did. I woke up, went downstairs to lay on the couch and immediately took a nap. I think we watched a movie in there somewhere, which I followed with a nap. Then, I went back upstairs to take a bath followed by, you guessed it, a nap.

I felt better yesterday and we were actually able to get out for a little while. Of course, I still had an afternoon nap, but at least it was a short one.

It was so good to have Cathy here. I didn't have to worry about entertaining her or being "on" or anything. But her presence was a huge comfort at a time when I wasn't feeling well. It's been so long since I've had someone take care of me when I was sick that I forgot how comforting it can be. It couldn't have been a better choice than Cathy at that moment. The key is that the person taking care of you is someone that knows you so well that they know how to slide into your life, give you comfort, and allow you to feel vulnerable and safe at the same time. So, essentially, Cathy was my comfort food this week.

Thanks, Cathy. There's a reason you're my best friend. :)