Scenes from My Spa Day Yesterday

Booth #7 at the Oncology/Hematology Center, third floor, Medical Center Building at Mercy Hospital, Fore River Campus, Portland

The nurses station as seen from my chair.  I decided that a booth right across from them was a good idea for my first visit there just in case.

My nurse, Cathy Gallant

The writing on the wall behind her says:  The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Cathy is setting up all of my IVs.

Views from my window

The main hospital building

The parking lot, Fore River, the bridge over the river and the airport beyond

All in all, this was a very good day.  I had no allergic reactions to any of the drugs--two kinds of anti-nausea meds, saline, Herceptin, saline, Taxotere, saline, Carboplatin, saline, Heperin, and more saline.  No funny tastes in my mouth, nothing unpleasant about any of this except for the first poke into the medi-port.  The chair reclines so I can put my feet up or go all the way back into a bed position for napping.  Warmed blankets are available--I took one for use during the Carboplatin cycle as the room was feeling a little chilly by then, though the airconditioning was a plus. Hot soup--five choices today, I chose the chicken orzo with oyster crackers.  The volunteer brought me a cranberry gingerale spritzer mid-morning.  I met with Dr. Inhorn and the oncology social worker at various times during the day.  I was there from 9:30 until 4:00, so it was a long day.  I read two magazines and worked in my art journal and I called Connie on the phone and talked for awhile around 1:30.    On the way down I took the interstate from Richmond--ran into construction around Tukey's Bridge in Portland all the way to the Fore River Parkway exit.  Decided to try a diiferent route home.  Went out through Northgate to stop at Shaw's and took Route 100 to Gray and up through to Auburn where I hopped on the free leg of the turnpike from Auburn to Sabattus, then home 126 to 197, etc.  It was only 4 miles longer to go that way and there was very little traffic.  I figured the Friday of Labor Day weekend and with a hurricane on the way the major highways might be a bit more clogged up with traffic.  


I go back on Friday next week and the Friday after for blood work, to check white cell counts, red cell counts, and platelets.  I am keeping a daily calendar with a code I made up so I can plot how I'm feeling each day and track any symptoms that develop as side effects to the medications.  Then it's every third Friday for five more times at the center for the chemo treatments.  I'll have to see how I feel when the next one rolls around as to whether I'll want a driver/company at the next treatment.  I really am feeling fine today.  The anti-nausea meds are making it hard to sleep, though--I'm a little jittery which is normal and mostly cat nap my way through the night, up a half dozen times wandering around.  I don't have much planned for today, just a quick trip to the local store for bananas later and maybe washing Mom's hair.


Thanks for all your support!!!