Dave's Chemo Journal: April 23, 2012

This is Dave's journal from round two.

April 23, 2012

Chemo number two is today. I am here in my recliner and absolutely dreading the moment when they come out and attach my port line to the bag of medicine. I just heard a nurse come up and say, “He’s vomiting.” I don’t know who or where he is, but I sure hope that isn’t me in a bit.

I have been feeling so good the last few days it is hard to actually believe I am sick. When I came for the first treatment, I was still recovering from two surgeries and had frequent pain and discomfort. Three weeks have healed my body to the point I feel really good and can function at an almost normal level. I really don’t want to take medicine that will make me feel worse than I do right now. The dread has been with me for the past couple of days and has even manifested itself in my sleep.

I dreamed last night that the doctor called Amanda and told her that I had responded so well to the first treatment that I did not have to take any more chemo. What a nightmare. I almost cried when I woke up and realized that no such call had been made.

I can hear the guy down the aisle from me here heaving his guts up now. They still haven’t attached me to the medicine. I think they are debating which chemo to give me first – the R or the CHOP. One nurse said I was getting CHOP first and she would wait to give me Tylenol and Benadryl until closer to time for the R. Then another nurse came and gave me the Tylenol and Benadryl and said, “Down the hatch.” So I took it and now they have been discussing what I am going to get first. I just heard the nurse who gave me the medicine say, “We may have to do the Rituxan first.” Surely they haven’t screwed me up already.

2:11 p.m. – Just about done with the second treatment. Not nearly as bad as the first. If I could not see the line connecting the medicine to me, I would not know it was going in. They gave the Rituxan first and it took a long time. I watched a movie all morning and have been looking around on the internet this afternoon. I was a little tired and sleepy, but I think the Benadryl has worn off so I am pretty much awake. Just sitting in a chair for this long is draining and I think that has made me as tired as anything else.