First Chemo

I haven't visited this page in more than a week even though this is really the time for updates. The problem is my brain doesn't seem to work on chemo. So, it's begun. Now that I am feeling better, manageable is the word I would use to describe my first round - wholly unpleasant, but manageable. There were moments when I became despondent thinking that I did not want to continue like that until November. Obviously, there is a lot to learn about how I will respond to continued treatment but I need not live in November nor any point between now and then. I'm learning that most of all. In the end I felt less than great for a matter of days, not months. Manageable.

I went in on May 12th as Zebib's (nurse) first patient of the day and left as her last. So, it took a while. There was trouble accessing a vein, a mild reaction to the drugs (forcing them to put the brakes on for a period of time and begin again more slowly), and the delays I imposed by asking too many questions.

Luckily, my time wasn't spent in a facility that met any of my expectations. Because of the dread that is so often associated with chemotherapy I envisioned a sad little room painted institution green, with a series of worn out recliners occupied by some very sick looking people. That place may exist but it is not at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. I did feel like I was in a medical facility, almost like a hospital, but it was far more private and comfortable than I anticipated. We, like most of the patients there, had a small room to ourselves, tricked out like a standard hospital room with a third the space. Comfortable as it was I couldn't wait to get out of there and head out to yoga for a little normalcy. A nap and some steroids made that possible.