Today, I got introduced to the drug that's going to kill my cancer for the first time. Hello Chemotherapy, but more specifically, the drug, Cisplatin. I'm told this is the sledgehammer of chemotherapy, and I will have it in Weeks 1, 4 and 7 of my treatment.
The day started off by leaving home at 7:15 in the morning to make sure we weren't late. I have worked out that there is a carefully choreographed movement of parts around me ranging from nurses, doctors, pharmacists, dieticians, speech pathologist, radiology technicians, oncology specialists, and medical practice administration staff. I do not want to be THAT guy that runs late and throws the entire system into chaos.
We arrived just before 8am and scored an on-street park close to the hospital. No need for long-term parking today as Claire would not be allowed to stay with me. We waited for about 10 minutes in the cancer centre, and then a cheomo nurse, Jane, came and collected me, welcomed me to Session 1 (yay!) and showed me to my corner suite.
Once settled into my very comfy recliner, I was taken through what the next four hours would look like. Firstly, they had to insert a cannula into a vein, which was quick and painless, and then 1 litre of saline solution was washed through me to "flush my veins and kidneys". I was told that I would be going to the toilet a lot today, and wow, they were right. While the first litre was going through me I was doing a few emails, instant messaging and the like, oh, and downing a cocktail of steroids and anti-nausea tablets. After about an hour and a half, Jane came and hooked up "the good stuff", it even sits in a black bag to protect it from the light; you can tell it's bad just looking at it. As the Cisplatin started to course through my veins, I realised that this was all real now. I had a drug coursing through my system searching out, and destroying the cancer. This is a serious treatment, and there is some serious potential side-effects to this drug. I tried to watch a movie on my tablet, but there was so much going on in my head that eventually I gave up and just whiled the time away looking out the windows and enjoying the sunshine.
I was well fed while there, and after the chemo it was time for another litre of saline to flush me again. This is done to take out the excess Cisplatin so that it doesn't damage my kidneys.
Over a four hour period, I visited the little boys room 5 times, walking my iv drip stand and machine up and down with me. Jane and I thought the wheels needed some WD40 ... unti we realised the brakes where on! I'll know for next time, and so will she :)
I was then taken to the Pharmacy to pick up my course of steroids and anti-nause tablets for the next two weeks, then I had just over an hour before my radiotherapy appointment.
I decided to go for a walk in the Exhibition Gardens, next to the hospital. The staff encourage it and said I was ok to go. Claire was going to drive back in again from home for my next appointment.
