Chemo #1 day 2

Since the first infusion takes at least 7 hours the doctor said it would be easier--since I have kids--to break it up into two days.  Normally it will be one 5.5-6 hour day every 3 weeks.

Amber drove me to my get the remainder of my first chemo infusion.  Drea watched her kids so she could take me.  These girls have been such a great support to me.  Always so cheerful and helpful.  Once I learned they had pebble ice available Amber kept loading me up with it.  Several people have also said that if you eat ice chips during your treatment your less likely to get mouth sores.

Christi surprised me and stopped by with a cute dancing sunflower to cheer me up.  When you put it in the sun it dances.  She has done so much for our family--cleaning our house, preparing and playing Halloween bingo with the kids, making our family yonanas, and getting me the cutest "Support the Cure" shirt I wore to surgery.  

Lora, who works with me in YW surprised me too and brought me yummy fruit which was just what the doctor ordered.  This is when the queeziness really started setting in.  

Nancy and Beckie came and surprised me too!!!  This is when things got awesome and tricky.  All these surprise visitors came and none of us knew you can only have one visitor in the chemo room at a time.  It was quite hilarious having certain people walking in and then being sent out by the nurse.  Everyone had to "take turns" coming in to visit me while the others waited in the foyer.  At one time there were 4 people waiting out there!  It made me feel SO LOVED!  Each person would take about 15 min to visit with me and then give the next person a turn.  The nurse was really baffled by this and asked if I was the first of ALL the people I knew to have something bad happen to them.  I just told her we have a great support group through church and wanted to tell her, "you don't know the Rockwood 1st ward"!  Both of these ladies have been incredible cheerleaders and have made food, watched babies, brought gifts, driven me to appts, etc. etc.  They also really make me laugh which I was definitely in need of as the chemo drugs were starting to make me feel sick.

By the end of day 2 I was feeling pretty wiped out.  Nancy brought me back a couple hours later to get my Neulasta shot which helps the bones produce more white blood cells.  This shot costs 12,000 a piece!  Can you believe that?!  Thank you insurance!  The nurse noticed as I was walking to get the shot that I was really dragging my legs and wondered if I was okay.  She said usually your not that wiped out until the 3rd day.  I had already taken a Zofran for nausea which I technically wasn't supposed to need until the next day.  She said the Carboplatin chemo drug is very hard-core and that it can be pretty intense so to not be sparing on the nausea meds and sleeping pills.  So that night it hit me hard.  I started bawling to Kelly because the nausea, headache, and bodyaches were really pulling me down.  He had me open a package his sister sent full of beautiful hats she had hand-knit to cover my bald head.  They were beautiful!  Then Beckie brought over some homemade chicken noodle soup and two of the sweetest cards came in the mail.  I was amazed at that very weak moment how the Lord compensated and lifted me.  These times of struggle or so hard but oh how they help us see the Lord's hand and His LOVE!