A Funny Story and An Update from My Latest Scans

I know that I've mentioned it several times but this time around, I am very prepared for dealing with infusion day (sometimes overly so lol). I get very much into my routine and I sometimes forget that not everyone is as well prepared as me. Not everyone has a chemo bag stocked full of stuff that covers every symptom possible! Not a day of photo, but you get the the idea.

Anyway, I went in for infusion this Monday (8/26) and I'm just following my regular routine: picked up some breakfast tacos, refilled my emotional support water bottle, put on my anti-nausea patch, and pulled out my port lidocaine cream & bandage. As I'm doing this, I notice this lady very intently watching my movements. She's about my parents' age and I could tell she was picking up the courage to chat with me.

As we wait to get called for labs (lots of people in the queue on a Monday), she moves to sit next to me. She starts asking me questions so I'll replay the conversation:

Lady: Hi, whatcha got there in your bag?

Me: Well I have some lidocaine cream for my port so it doesn't hurt when it gets accessed. I've got some breakfast/lunch to eat when I'm sitting in the chair. And I've got my anti-nausea patch to keep the nausea at bay for the next few days.

Lady: Where did you get the cream from? I don't have that

Me: I asked my doctor for it; this is my second time through treatment so I am pretty much a pro at this point.

Lady: My doctor didn’t even offer that… (annoyed face) What about these bandages? Where did you get those? And you just use them to keep the cream off your clothes?

Me: and to keep the cream in the right place. I put it on while I’m waiting for labs and by the time I get to the infusion chair, it’s nice and numbed up. I just find that it makes the process more comfortable overall.

Lady: (pulls out a paper and pen; starts jotting down notes) What else do you have in there?

Me: Well, a few different nausea medicines, both over the counter and prescription, some suckers, some hand sanitizer, lotion, all kinds of stuff really. I would say it's my little bag of tricks to keep infusion day as pleasant as possible.

Lady: And your tacos, do you always do those? And can I have one?

Me: Hahaha, Unfortunately, I only brought enough for me this time around. It depends on the time I have to be here. Sometimes, I'll have tacos or maybe a salad from up the street, and sometimes, I eat whatever snacks I have in my bag. I try not to buy anything too heavy or buy too much, but having something in your stomach makes a big difference in taking the nausea medicines.

(Pause for intense scribbling)

Me: You know I have a whole blog where I write about all my experience, my tips and tricks, and lessons that I've learned. I get pretty candid about some of the things that I've done so far that help me be more prepared this time around for treatment. I can send you a link.

Overall, a funny interaction with someone who going through this process for the first time and wasn't sure about what questions to ask or what to look for to make their journey more comfortable. I'm just glad that she picked up the courage to chat with me and how I can use my experience to support her. Makes me feel like I'm making a difference!

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In other news, I have completed another round of infusion and so far so good. I'm getting more in the groove of keeping my symptoms more managed.

• Still have some tummy troubles, so reached out to my doctor to get some stronger medicine to keep them more controlled

• Struggling with keeping my energy up on the days right after chemo so naps are warranted and taking longer rest breaks is important. My job does allow for that flexibility so that's a really big plus!

• I have been working through quite a few body aches so I try to rest as much as I can and use the heat pad when appropriate.

• Eating is a bit of a struggle still so I try to eat little meals several times a day - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't - but it goes away the further I get away from treatment day.

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I also got the results back from my latest CT scan and it's all positive news! No new growths were discovered anywhere in my body and my current tumors are almost completely gone. This is by far the BEST POSSIBLE OUTCOME!

It does change my treatment plan a little bit but for now, I'm still going to remain on the current plan through at least the end of the year and my next scan. Once we have another positive scan, then we'll be able to determine what the next phase of treatment looks like!

Again, all positive news and I'm so glad that the treatment is working and my body is tolerating the drugs pretty well overall:

• White Blood Cell counts are in a normal range

• Minimal anemia - flexes around a bit but overall pretty normal for me

• Red Blood Cell counts are in a normal range

• Blood Sugar levels have been overall normal but they do get high on treatment day (not a surprise, but something we're monitoring)

I appreciate all the positive vibes you all have been sending me and the family!

OLIVIA