Day -3: Chemo Day I

This morning I took my last free breath in the cool outside air, and walked into the Preston building at around 8 am for first day of chemotherapy. I was quickly given a bed in one of the amyloid treatment rooms. As soon as I sat down in the bed, I knew that nothing has changed since I my first transplant 13 months ago.

The routine was similar what I did last year - first, they hydrated me for two hours. Next, they gave me Kytril for anti-nausea and Ativan for anti-anxiety. Then 15 minutes prior to getting the chemo, you chomp down on the ice.

This is the melphalan -- the stuff that could save my life by destroying it

The ice, as astute readers may know, is given to the patient in preparation to the chemo. It's role is to protect the mouth and toungue from sores that the chemo could cause. For 45 minutes, you hold as much ice in your mouth as possible, if hopes that is would dissuade the chemo from attacking there. This is a not a pleasant experience, as you must continually shove ice in the mouth, and you cannot stop.

hhmmmmmppph!

I mentioned that the chemo days are anticlimatic, as you don't really feel any side effects to the chemo immediately. Once I was finished, I did take a nap from all of the drugs I was fed.

Uhm, DON'T ask.

We arrived home at a little after 3p.m. I am resting comfortably, although I feel slightly spaced out from the drugs. I just took 1mg of Ativan a bit ago, so I'm getting sleepy. It would best to end this short before I fall sleep at the keybooooard. Yawn....

Tomorrow will be a repeat of before, and I'll have more pictures then!