First Day of Chemo

I would like to thank Bob Williams (Although I doubt he has facebook, or even knows how to find our family blog).  Bob is, and has been the president of the homeowners association since I moved into the neighborhood.  He is a kind and selfless man, always willing to help with a smile.  I really appreciated his visit on Sunday.  He has a great deal of experience with cancer and chemo therapy, and it was good to have little pep talk before the big debut on Monday.

He warned me up front about "the red stuff" (Doxorubicin). It is known as a VESICANT.  For any of you that are like me and don't know what that means, here's the dictionary definition: A chemical agent that causes burns and destruction of tissue both internally and externally.

With a warning more likely to be seen on radioactive waste, you can imagine how excited I was to have this stuff injected into my body.  Even the nurse has to wear an extra gown and gloves for safety. Thanks to Bob, I knew I could live through it so went forward with the inoculation.


Here I am starting to get nervous...
 

Here I am getting really nervous...

 

Lisa (my nurse) was so patient, she had to inject the vesicant really slowly by hand for 15 minutes so that it didn't mess me up too bad. 

After "the red stuff" I also got a dose of Vincristine (a mitotic inhibitor) which basically means that it prevents your cells from dividing.  At my towering stature I'm sure many of you probably assumed my cells stopped dividing a long time ago ;)

The other drug I started on Monday is Prednisone.  This is a steroid, and I think my nightly dosage is keeping me up like an energy drink.  My cute little wife can hardly keep up with me while I make laps around the nurses station, jabber and make jokes.  This I'm sure is doubtful to continue as my treatment intensifies, but hey why not have a little fun while you can.

Truth be told, I'm feeling pretty darn good right now.  No harsh side effects, no hair loss, just a lot of bed rest, pills, and pokes.  My blood levels have been steady so I haven't had to receive anymore blood transfusions or insulin shots.  The doctors say that chemo effects everyone differently, I hope that I am among the more fortunate.