Treatment #8

So we’re officially on the downhill slide folks. DOWNHILL. SLIDE!!! I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I officially have only 3 more treatments left. WOOHOO!!!

And it’s a good thing too as I’m apparently becoming more and more allergic to my treatments. You’ll remember I had a pretty severe allergic reaction at my last treatment. Well…the same thing happened this week too. I took all my pre-emptive drugs just like I was instructed to do. Got to the doctor’s office. Got all my blood tests. Everything looked good (except my white cells were really low) and got hooked up to the IV. About 10 minutes into the actual chemo drugs I began to have shortness of breath and the nurses immediately took me off the chemo. They pushed another massive amount of Benadryl and steroids through and managed to head the major reaction off at the pass. My poor friend Macy got to witness the whole thing. She said she was really impressed with how quick the nurses moved and got me to feeling better.

Here’s the fun news. The drug that I’m apparently allergic too is also apparently the drug that makes me averse to cold things. Now that I’m no longer taking that drug I can FINALLY have cold drinks! I had a Coke Float for dinner the other night and it was glorious! Cold things no longer feel like electric currents in my mouth nor do they all taste like butter! Hoorah!

Think that was the only excitement at chemo this past week?? You’re WRONG! I happened to be sitting next to this older man who looked incredibly familiar to me. I kept thinking…”Maybe he is a member of the Chamber. I must know him through business somehow.” Just about the time I was about to give up and dive into my Travel magazine…his wife came in and said…”True? True Wallace?” And I tentatively said…”yessss…” Then she said…”Did you go to Byng Junior High?” And again I said…”yes”. Then she said…”You know our daughter Karen!”

Turns out my chair neighbor this week was the father of one of my best friends in junior high! Talk about a small world! I haven’t seen her parents for probably 15 or 20 years which would explain the reason why I didn’t recognize them…well that and the chemo brain.

After he finished his treatment a younger woman came in and took his chair. Kaylee, I think was her name, yet another breast cancer patient under the age of 30. I never cease to be amazed by all the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. I’m also amazed at how supportive they all are with one another. She had at least 4 women come in to see her and bring her goodies and blankets for her first treatment. I gotta say I was a little jealous. I started thinking…”Hey! Where are all the people coming in to support me through my COLON cancer???” Then I thought…”Ohhh right! Yeah…it’s called your family and friends True! They come every treatment and bring you goodies to help see you through!” Who needs an official support group when you have such an amazing un-official one!

Kaylee was really sweet. I felt sorry for her because she had not gone through the “Chemo Class” to learn about her cancer and how the chemo would affect her. I wish everyone would just find the time to take that. It is so informative and helpful! But between her nurses and myself I think we got her up to speed. It’s pretty bad when I’m the “old pro” at all this chemo business. HA! But I do take a certain joy in helping alleviate some of the scariness for the younger women who I meet there. She was there with her husband and he, as most men do, seemed scared and uneasy being in a hospital/doctor’s office situation. So I did my part in putting him at ease and helping her realize that it’s certainly not the end of the world and you’ll be amazed at how much you can still do…even when you’re on chemo.

It’s also funny. Now my friends have started asking me…”True…what are you going to do in three treatments when you can no longer use ‘I have cancer’ as a way to deal with icky situations, horrid people, or just generally things you don’t really want to do???”

I just laugh and say…”Well…I guess I’ll just say, ‘don’t mess with me! I kicked cancer’s ass and I’m sure yours won’t be any tougher!”