Chemotherapy, Round 1 (eleven more to go)

Well, I made it through. I was more nervous for chemo than I was for surgery and I probably should have switched that around. The surgery was a bit more invasive than I had thought and it knocked me silly. I had such a darn headache before surgery (caffeine withdrawal from no coffee, I think) and afterwards I was nauseas. We had to be in for surgery at 9 and things moved pretty quickly I was in recovery shortly after 11. But I was ill and needed a rest so I hung there till almost 2, then they took the IV out and I got dressed as best I could and went across the street to the oncology clinic. We were educated a little on the drugs ABVD and then we got started. It was odd, all these chairs lined up in a row hooked to IV stands. I was lucky to get a room with a bed since I came from surgery. The nurse seemed to think that next time I would be in the big room. The side effects from 3 of the drugs cause hair loss, she figured that would happen to me, hair cells are the fastest growing cells and that is what chemo does, kills the fast growing cancer cells along with all the other fast growing cells in your body. I may lose my nails, too, and get bruises. She asked me if I was nauseas with my pregnancies, I told her no, so she initially thought I would be okay with nausea. I had to get up and pee a couple of times and the second time, my dh was whisper yelling at me to slow down, I was running so fast he couldn't keep up with me with the IV. I really had to go. My nurse pushed the drugs this time, but next time they drip, so it may take longer. I was starving and exhausted so we ate at Subway and came home. I slept till 7 and then felt awful. My dh filled a script for Zofran, even though we thought we probably would not need it. Can you believe without our insurance 6 pills would have cost us almost $300.00 YIKES? So I was sick to my stomach and spitting in the toilet, but nothing came up, then I took a $50 pill and a pain pill and went to sleep. I was up again feeling sick two times before 7 am. I drank juice and water and ate saltines to get through. I am not sure if it is from chemo or surgery. But I am keeping a log of everything so I can maybe get a handle on it. Every other Tuesday for the next 6 months, I am on the ABVD Day 1 and Day15 Agressive Chemotherapy regimen. We have a lab appt. next Tues. and Round 2 scheduled for Aug. 1st. Prayers graciously accepted.