Fifth Treatment - Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Today marked my fifth chemo treatment. I have been apprehensive for weeks about this round because of the fever I encountered after treatment number four. So, the staff at Martindale’s practically pushed me out the door to the appointment. During my session with the oncologist, we discussed the fever and the fact that I did not call him during the time it occurred. After explaining to him that the fever started the day after chemo and not during the nader time (the time when blood levels drop to the lowest point), he informed me that the fever was probably due to the chemo or a virus, in which case, he could have done nothing to help me and would not have prescribed an antibiotic. So, I was convinced that I handled the symptoms properly.

We then discussed the radiation aspect of the protocol and the doctor under whose care I would be put. Apparently, he is fairly open-minded to complementary medicine. I was glad to hear it because if he was not, we would not get along. At the end of the visit, the oncologist spoke almost the same words the naturopath had the day before, that I was doing very, very well. I think, as he put it, I was "flying through" this protocol and he was proud of me, knowing how opposed I am to chemo as a whole.

After the visit, I made my way to the treatment rooms and because no patients were there I could pick whichever seat I wanted. I felt like Goldilocks with the three bears. My friend, Janet, and I settled in one of the semi-privates by the window. After asking the usual questions about side-effects, the nurse attending me made a number of comments about how wonderful my skin looked. She also remarked about how well I was doing. It really does feel good to get that kind of feedback from someone who deals with these issues on a daily basis. Then, as usual, the Benadryl took affect. I became restless and sleepy at the same time. So the battle raged between trying to relax and kicking the chair for awhile, then I fell asleep. Finally, the treatment was completed about the time I awoke and Janet drove me home. That night, although the usual "fuzzy-headed" feeling persisted, I felt relatively fine.