4 down 1 more to go
Finally mom’s platelets were high enough for her 4th round of FOLFOX.
Boy was she all fired up and feisty that morning. It makes me laugh just thinking about it, she was all about back seat driving, and demanding this be done this way and that done that way. It was comical really. She was very ornery, but it wasn’t the obnoxious kind.
She has been feeling under the weather as if she is getting a cold, so we wanted to make sure the Dr. addressed those concerns, which she did. Her blood results were a lot better this week, so no delay in treatment which was awesome.
We messed around a bit in the hope boutique and my mom picked out a shirt she really wanted that says “fight like a girl” she didn’t care about the pink ribbon, she wanted THAT shirt and THAT shirt alone. So we got the shirt, even after they rang it up for $26.00 and she immediately protested stating she didn’t need it; it was expensive etc, and I asked her “which one do you WANT, I want you to be happy with it and want you to have what you WANT, you do not ask for much.” And it was done; we walked up to the infusion floor with the shirt in tow J
Once we got to infusion she picked out lunch, and our nurse was genuinely really cool, she asked if my mom had tried the acupuncturist for her neuropathy symptoms, and put in some orders for him to see her. It was really a cool experience. Here is why, 1. I hate needles, I don’t know what it is, I can get pierced and tattooed all day long but a shot and I instantly want my mommy and a tissue, and a stuffed animal and my favorite movie the little mermaid too. (Okay maybe being dramatic, but I turn into a big sissy for real) 2. My mom was totally ok to try it! She was totally ready for it, and looked me in the eye the entire time he was putting 14 little needles in her. 3. She is honest with me, 110% and always has been, even as a kid, if I asked if something will hurt, your damn right she told me it would hurt. I totally respect that honestly, it taught me to be brave and brace myself for some sort of pain.
Acupuncture was no different, she was talking to me about how it was fine, “no big dea- I felt that one- piece of cake you could do this no pro-felt that one- no problem” insert big smile here.
She took the acupuncture like a champ, and for ONCE her fingers were not ice cubes during treatment, so that’s a cool sign it works! Once her treatment started, she got her Ativan premeds, and that makes her sleepy, which she is thinking of declining next time. We have a routine down now and get through it. She had to actually ask for more nausea medication onto of the nausea IV bolus they hang at the beginning, which I thought was weird.
***HUGE SIDE NOTE- I just realized writing this, that I failed to write down my mom’s pill schedule with which pill she takes and which time, and now I feel like a huge cow pie. I need to call her in a minute on my lunch break and get that figured out. Holy crap I am terrible. Wtf is wrong with me…***
Thank god she has slept all day and totally hasn’t needed and forgot about the meds too…. Anyways back to the story.
She was very weak and dizzy-ish towards the end, so I wheeled her out in a wheel chair and we went immediately home, usually she likes to run to the store and get things and what not, but not the forth round.
She slept and fought very hard to stay awake as she hates sleeping for two or three days after chemo.
Over all though she is handling it as a champ is!
We bought this shirt on her fourth roud. She hasn’t asked for many things for herself and she fell in love with this one. Even though it’s pink, and we hoped it was blue for colon cancer, she still rocks it amazingly and it was worth every penny of the $26.99 (😧I know right) to see her smile and be so happy!
My Moms Cancer Treatment 