Medical Appointments Today

I'm off early this morning to see Sarah Robey, PA at Wiscasset Family Medicine.  She has been my regular provider for years and I always look forward to seeing her.  This will be my first visit with her since my diagnosis so we have some catching up to do.  I'm really feeling almost normal this morning.  Good night's sleep.  Good appetite.  At noon I see my therapist and am taking my art journal to show her.  Between the two appointments I plan to stop at Big Al's and browse the stores in downtown Bath and grab a quick lunch at Wild Oats in Brunswick.

More Art Journal Pages

Works from my Art Journal

I started an art journal as soon as I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Here are some of the pages I've been working on.  The whole book is a work-in-progress...I often go back to pages and add more stuff or write.                                                                                


These are the two pages I worked on during my Spa Day on Friday.

On the righthand page is a notecard where I have recorded inside the titles and authors of the nine books I read in August.

I love the images and the swirly pearls on the other page.

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!!!

First Chemo Treatment Friday!

This is how I'm choosing to think about my chemo treatment--just a day at the spa with the girls...comfy seating, warm towels (or cool ones as needed), a little massage, good conversation, and relaxation.  I've got my bags packed--medical notes journal, calendar and contact info, medications notes/questions, a magazine, pens, and my talismans (labyrinth bowl, Red Riding Hood cup, Ugli doll, tiny teddy bear, stones in a silk pouch, Gail's power jewelry also in a silk pouch) in the big purple bag.  The second bag holds craft supplies so I can work on my journal when I have a free minute.  The third bag will hold the lunch I'll pack in the morning and plenty of water in a variety of flavors, sparkling and not.  Oh, yeah, and Tootsie Roll Pops, orange.  I'll be in an air-conditioned environment, thankfully, and will have a view of the Fore River and the sky.  Should be a good day!

How to Prepare for Chemo

1.  Be really ambitious one day, setting up notebooks, reading everything from the doctor, etc.
2.  Watch an entire season of THE GOOD WIFE (22 episodes) the next day!  Honestly, it was so hot yesterday it was hard to think about doing anything else.

3. Back on task--laundry today:

4.  Meeting with Meg for physical therapy late this afternoon in Brunswick.  Think I might have to stop at JoAnn's for more stickers for my journal.

Treatment Plan in place!!!

I will be going to the Oncology/Hematology Center in the Medical Building on the Fore River Mercy Hospital Campus in Portland for my first treatments.  Dr, Inhorn, chief of oncology, is my medical oncologist.  My chemotherapy starts on Friday the 3rd of September.  I have to be there at 10 for blood work, then I'll see Dr. Inhorn and meet Cathy, the nurse assigned to me.  I'm expecting to be there about 5 hours for the first visit.

The oncology treatment center is a large open airy bright room with huge windows that face the Fore River.  Great views!  There's also plenty of space around the treatment chair, a personal television, two tables...not too close to anyone else so there is a sense of personal space.  Fridays are typically less crowded, too.  I figured that if I might feel crummy the first day or two or three after treatment, maybe having treatment just before the weekend would make it easier to get extra help here at home if we need it.  I'll be on some really good medications to stop nausea before it even has a chance to start.  That really is the only side effect I've been concerned about.

I will have chemo every third Friday until I've had six treatments.  Then I'll take a short break before starting radiation in Bath at the Cancer Care Center.

That's what I know at this point.  Have prescriptions to fill tomorrow, lots of handouts to read, and I have to set up the finances ring binder to keep track of bills/insurance.  The fun part this next week is choosing what to put in my Hospital Go Bag!