Chemo Treatment #2

Yesterday was Day 1 of Round 2 of Mom's chemo. We started by packing a bag full of snacks, books, and card games to occupy us through the day. Then we headed out to the John and Karen Huntsman Cancer Center at the fancy-pants new Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah. Blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and weight were all taken. Her numbers were all fantastic! Then we saw the doc who was, once again, surprised by how well she's doing! He could hardly even find the mass anymore (remember how it was 20 pounds!?), and was overall really thrilled with how she's been doing. He was surprised that she still had any hair at all! We attribute that to her voluminous mane--it ain't going down without a fight! Monday morning I chopped off her ponytail, so her remaining hair would be easier to manage.

A little crooked, but not too bad!

 Anyhoo, then we went into the chemo room and they took her blood (again, the numbers were great!) and started her on the anti-nausea and Benedryl. The Benedryl was fun! She kept saying that she felt like her reactions were all a step behind, and her words were coming out a little slurred. I told her it wasn't any different from the many nights she's dozed in the recliner watching House Hunters or Chopped. :) Then they started the Rituxan, which for most people, usually causes the most problems. They give you the Benedryl to counteract the common allergic reaction to the drug. But, Mom's a rock star of course, and took it like a champ. No problems! Then she got Vincristine, just a little push from a syringe, then Doxorubicin, which is bright red and they call it her "Kool-Aid." Finally came the Cytoxan, which really was the only one that she had any sort of reaction to. Just a sinus headache that went away within an hour after the treatment.

So that was our day! We were there for only 5 hours this time, as opposed to the 7 last time. She came home feeling pretty good, just a little wiped out from the day. We went for a walk in the evening when it finally cooled down!

 Here's a funny story for you! Two or three summers ago, Mom's house was broken into in the middle of the night while she was sleeping upstairs. Understandably, that really shook her, and she's since been more diligent about locking all the windows and doors at night. (So much so that she's locked herself out a couple of times!) Last night as I was going to bed she asked me to leave her door open just a bit, because since the break-in she wants to be able to hear if something is going on. Probably because she was thinking about it, she woke up in the middle of the night and heard a couple noises that freaked her out. So she got up, grabbed a stool that was still in her room from the haircut Monday morning, and started out. She stopped and thought, "Well if I get out there and see someone and throw the stool at them, then what will I do?" So she grabbed a curtain rod! She went downstairs, investigated, found no one, and decided there was no way she was going down in the basement alone in the middle of the night. So she fell asleep on the couch on the main floor, was awakened again by a noise and realized it was just the wind. She must of been feeling pretty good to think she could take on a house burglar!

We're expecting a few hard days later this week, but just like before, we'll get through them and start feeling well again. We've been amazed by the outpouring of love and support from family and friends.

 Here are just a few of the cards and gifts she's received. Thank you all so much for your love. We feel it!