Cycle 2 Day 1: Back in the chair

Here is where I’ll be spending the morning at St Boniface hospital getting my cycle 2 chemo treatment. Thanks to Mandy for the ride in. It was nice to see the grandkids who were banished to the 3rd row seating because they might have been exposed to something from some other kids. Apparently, I’m supposed to be careful about things like this as getting an infection would be a  BIG deal. Better safe that sorry in this case.

Just when you think your getting the hang of the routine there is something new. The “R” drug that was a 3 hour slow IV process is now a 5 minute injection since there was no problem with reactions to the 1st round. The nurse and I chat as she squeezes in the drug subcutaneously into my stomach area. Again, no adverse reaction, so all is good.

9:40 am and the “R” (rituximab) is done. Starting to feel a little sleepy from the benadryl and it’s on with the other drugs in the CHOP-R protocol.

The rest of the procedure is as expected, and the time seems to fly by. We’re done by 11:45 and Mandy picked us up for the ride home. Cycle 4 is scheduled for July 31, 2018.

While I don’t have a lot of experience with the group interactions in the chemo therapy room, today is proving quite interesting. One of the ladies across form me is quite talkative with all the nurses and with the lady in the chair next to her. They are both in their 40s and are sharing their beast cancer experience. The most hilarious discussion so far was that she went to high school with the surgeon that did her lumpectomy. Upon meeting her surgeon pre-op she told him that when in high school he likely wanted to see her breasts and that he now has “full access” to them 😄. I think the stories will continue all morning long.