Hair.

Today, Tuesday June 5th was my third infusion of Darzalex along with my Kyprolis and Dex.  We left the house at 7 for my 8 AM appointment.  Took me right back to the room with Kelley.  She did all the set up for my day.  Took blood pressure (up but that stands to reason), temperature and pulse.  Then accessed my port.  Had some trouble getting blood for labs.  That has only happened one other time.  Kelley had me look to the right and take several deep breaths.  Nothing happening.  She then had me looked to the left and breathe.  Again nothing.  Reflushed.  Nope.  Then she had me lie down and raise my left arm.  Okay, nope.  Rolled over to my right side while laying down.  Okay, this worked.  Drew for labs and sent to be tested.  Now we wait.  Labs back.  Bilirubin up.  Contact doctor.  Wait.

Came back to go ahead.  Take my 40 mg Dex.  Another 20 mg Dex through port.  1200 mg of Tylenol and Benadryl orally.   And within about 20 minutes I am dozing.  Started the 15 minute Kyprolis drip.  Waited another 15 minutes and started the Darzalex.  But when the bag of Darzalex came out, Bill questioned the size of the bag.  Only look half of what it was last week.  Kelley and another nurse worked with the lab to understand why.  I hope I get this right.  The mixture this week was more concentrated.  Same dosage but liquid amount was not as much.  That, apparently, is the protocol of this treatment week by week.  I know I dozed off and Bill handled it.  Also, he won $10 play money to use at the Cancer Center.  I was sleeping.  Something to do with emails being down and taking a while to hear from doctor to get stuff rolling.  He told me to go back to sleep to see if he could win more.  I did. He didn't!  I slept through most of the treatment.  Kelley had to take vitals every hour so woke up when that was happening.  We were actually done around 3:30 this week.  So from 8 -3:30 from start of day to finish.  8:30-6:30 the second week and 8-11 PM the first week.  Really cutting the time down.  Next week I am going to ask what the least amount of time that I can expect bearing no reactions.

Only 5 more weeks of treatments of the Darzalax, Kyprolis and Dex.  Then I go to every other week for 8 more treatments and then once a month.  The Kyprolis and Dex will continue on with the 3 weeks on and one week off.  However, the Dex with be a continual weekly one.

We now watch for any side effects again.  Hopefully they will be minor.

Bill and I went to an event held by Orlando Health Cancer Center on Sunday.  Picnic in the Park for national cancer survivors day.  This was held at Leu Gardens in Orlando.  What an uplifting few hours.  There were chair massages, healing touch area, photo booth, a few crafts to do, Orlando pet therapy dogs.  They provided us with a box lunch and sat us in a comfy room.   There were several speakers including several doctors from our hospital.  Then we had "open mic".  And I braved my self up to the podium.  There were over 100 persons and I did it.  Yeah, me.  Didn't speak long but I did it.

A chemo patient woke up and looked at her hair.  She had 3 hairs left on her head.  Oh, I think I will braid them today.  Next day when she woke up, she had 2 hairs left on her head.  Oh, I think I will part them done the middle today.   Next day she only had 1 hair on her head.  Oh, I think I will put it in a pony tail today.  Next day she woke up to no hair on her head.  She just nodded her head and said, "now I don't have to worry about doing my hair for a while."  This was told by a lady that sat at the table with us.  Second time breast cancer.   What a jolly, upbeat lady.

Quote:

Find some beauty in your situation.  You won't be the person you were before cancer and that is not a bad thing.