Live Blogging From the Chemo Suite

Internet working in chemo suite today. Last time signal was dodgy.

I know how much you all want to be right here where the fun never ends. 🙂

Getting pre-chemo drip soon. Benedryl (sp?) to make me nice and sleepy.

Today we FINALLY remember to pre-lidocaine my port and it went SO much better when they needled me.

There wasn’t even screaming.

Huzzah!

That needle they use for the port is absolutely wicked looking and curved and usually hurts like an SOB.

But not today! Ha, take that wicked needle!

If you do not know what a port is, it’s some sort of something that’s implanted in your chest that they can use for iv’s etc.

Bridget Zinn Chemo and MassageWeird to have something mechanical-ish implanted in your body.

Like a cyborg.

Or the bionic woman.

Or not. I’m not really all that up on my part robot/part human facts.

Massage lady is here. Must go.

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Foot massage = very nice.

She even tucked me into a heated blanket when she was done.

Love massage lady.

Wish I could take her home with me.

Benedryl starting to kick in. Niiiiiccccceeee benedryl.

Sucker count for today = 2. Mixed berry and cotton candy.

Never thought I’d like artificially flavored candy.

But it takes away the weird taste from the saline flush which somehow magically sends the nasty flavor straight from the iv to the mouth.

medsAlready regretting all of the fluids I chugged to get the urine sample. (see how I’m not sparing any details, so you can be right here with me). I know I’m supposed to drink a ton of water anyway to flush out the chemo, but it is annoying getting up all of the time and bringing the iv thing. Can’t remember for the life of me what the iv thing is called. Benedryl sleepiness hiding vocabulary from me. IV rack? IV stand? Rolly thing?

Just got hooked up to two of the chemo drugs. They give you a sugar water drip too.

Which sort of cracks me up.

Getting sugar pushed directly into my veins — like I’m some kind of sugar junky.

Did not get best view chair today. Maybe they just give it to new patients so that they will come back. The best view chair looks out over the river. Last time there were sail boats and dragon boats out on the river.

View of tall buildings and construction  out window today. Not quite as entertaining.

window view

Napping now.

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Very nice nap, good snack, listened to some meditation music that some fabulous person sent me (It’s loaded on my iPod, I’ll have to check the CD’s to see who it was).

Things are heating up on the Bridget Zinn Auction site. There are tons of new items up for bid since the last time I checked. Thank you all so so so much for your donations! And thank you bidders!

I love how polite you all are with the “excuse me, pardon me, so sorry to outbid you,” type of posts when you put in your bid.

I’m getting close to being done with all of the chemo drips. Then they hook me up with the at home chemo for the weekend. It’s a little machine that comes in a little bag thing with a tube running into my port that has a strap so I can wear it like a purse. Barrett is quite bravely getting lessons on how to unhook me from the chemo machine himself so I don’t have to go to the hospital on Sunday to get it done. Barrett = rock star.

Drinking weird coconut milk with tangerine drink. Sort of like creamsicle.

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At home, snug in bed with nausea medication. Have a great weekend everyone!

More  later.

Love 

Bridget

8 replies on “Live Blogging From the Chemo Suite”

  1. Thanks for this live-action post, Bridget. I hope the side effects are much less (okay, let’s just root for absent) this time. Hang in there….

  2. Mm…sugar drip. It’s so nice to read your posts! Hope the old eyes are going back to spankin’ new Bridg-O-Vision. Good luck with the urpy bit (hope there is none!). You’re in my prayers, kiddo!
    -Georgia

  3. I want the name and number of this hospital. A view of construction? Outrageous! They sucked you in with sugar water and pleasant views. Next thing they’ll take away the pillow. Head up, chin up! Bridget. We pray for you every night. Keep posting and we will keep writing.

  4. at least it is called the “suite” and not the “dungeon” or “basement” – something gloomy and scary. Hang in there – hope you feel better – heard you had chest pains today. Thanks for writing this – I do like to be there iwth you. feel like you can get my positive energy better that way.

  5. I’m thinking of you this morning. Thanks for letting us come along with you! You are so cheery and perky I am sure the nurses love hanging out with you. At least the construction is interesting. My last time in the hospital I looked out on the parking lot and watched people arriving for work & then leaving.

    Following you on Twitter too.

  6. I tried to email you over the weekend but it bounced back. I found your blog via Laini Taylor’s blog. I live in Portland too and two years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30. Different disease, I know, but reading your posts about chemo and surgery, it took me right back to that time. I was in treatment for a year–20 weeks of chemo and then double mastectomy–but I am doing great now. Anyway, I have some info about naturopaths in Portland, if you are still interested, and want to offer if you ever want to talk to someone who has been through similar experiences, I would be happy to meet with you. When I was diagnosed, I was in touch with a couple of people who were “strangers,” and were either in treatment or survivors who were In some ways it helped to speak to someone who was distanced from me emotionally, but still could understand the situation. Stay strong and light. I will be thinking of you.

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