Today was a marathon chemo day. It wasn't as busy today as it was the last time. I arrived at 8:30 am for my labs, saw the doctor at 9:30 am and started chemo at 10 am. I finally finished at 5:00 pm. I managed to watch 2 movies on my laptop, watched a little tv, had a few small conversations and listened to music as well as made 800 trips to the bathroom as I must have drank 6 bottles of water! I hope they don't charge me rent! They did start the Herceptin, which was a slow drip that took 90 minutes. They run it slowly to monitor you for any adverse reaction. They also give you a bell to ring in case you start feeling one of the adverse effects.
Herceptin causes flu-like symptoms in about 40% of the people who take it.
These symptoms may include:
- fever
- chills
- muscle aches
- nausea
Side effects generally become less severe after the first treatment. Your treatment team will monitor you during your infusions, especially your first
dose, and can adjust the infusion if you are very uncomfortable. If you are receiving
Herceptin every 3 weeks,you may have stronger side effects. If you are receiving
Herceptin with chemotherapy, you may also experience chemotherapy side effects.
Lucky me! A great big thank you to Tara, who met with me in the Oncology Waiting Room to discuss finances and also brought me chapstick that I desperately needed! She's a lifesaver. Also, a big shout out to my friends Jacque for the baked mostaccioli & garlic bread (it was delicious) and Vic for the Peppermint Tea! Thanks to both of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment