Everybody (in general) hates Mondays. They have never really bothered me personally, just another day to take over the world. Yesterday, proved to be a little more than I expected. As you know, it was the first day of my second cycle of chemo. I arrived at the hospital to have my PICC line* placed. My cousin and later my sister and mom were my support for the day. PICC line insertion was not too bad. The lady was working alone and she was older so it took a while to find a good vein. The PICC line nurse mentioned to me, "You have tiny veins, I'm guessing cause you are so tiny. You barely have any adipose tissue." Now I'm thinking to myself, "I'm actually at a healthy weight for my height and age and I thought having no adipose tissue was good?" Adipose tissue is just a fancy medical term for fat...in case you were wondering. Anyway, it didn't really bother me much. I'm quite comfortable with my petite size, petite girls have plenty of advantages ;-).
After my PICC was placed she wanted to be 100% sure it was in the right location...which means I was sent to have an xray for confirmation.
It was 11:30 once I was told that my PICC line placement was successfully and I was good to go for my chemo treatment. I was excited because my chemo appointment wasn't scheduled until 12:30. I naively assumed that this meant I start chemo sooner and get out much sooner than I originally expected, WRONG. I was not called back until around 2 -_-. As, I've mentioned before my treatments are generally 4-5 hours depending on the nurse. So, you already know I was slightly annoyed for having to wait so long. I didn't complain, I was just ready to get started. Approximately, 3 hours into my treatment...I began to have a reaction to Bleomycin (a chemotherapy agent). Now I've received this drug before but I only get it on the first day, Monday, of each cycle. I began to complain of feeling "winded," like I had just climbed a few flights of stairs. I also began getting hives in my lower back which itched like crazy. I told my nurse....well my mom told my nurse (she was a little more worried than me) and the nurse came with another nurse and the Physician's Assistant to assess me. They took my vitals, and gave me some Benadryl IV. Now I know I'm a nurse and I know the side effects of drugs but mind you I have never had to actually take some of these drugs before. Benadryl in pill form, yes, but Benadryl IV nope, never. When I tell you I thought I was drunk out my mind lol. I felt dizzy like the room and my body were swaying, I felt as if I were slurring my words and just rambling. I wish someone would have recorded it because I know I was hilarious. Once the initial impact wore off I was knocked out like a baby. I think I finally made it home around 8:30. It was a terribly long day but a good day to say the least. We shall see how the rest of this week goes. Prayers up ;-)
*a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). It is long, slender, small, flexible tube that is inserted into a peripheral vein, typically in the upper arm, and advanced until the catheter tip terminates in a large vein in the chest near the heart to obtain intravenous access. PICC lines are similar to a standard IV but are generally used for long term IV use, i.e. chemotherapy. -http://picclinenursing.com/picc_why.html
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