Chemo Day 1

Yesterday, September 3, 2015, was the first day of chemotherapy. It did not go as planned.

I was apprehensive, but not nervous or afraid. My husband went with me, since it was the first time. We showed up at 8:45 am to check in and were taken back to an exam room within a few minutes.

That's when things started to go badly. After the weight, blood pressure, and temperature checks by the medical assistant, a nurse came in and explained about how he would draw some blood from the  central port implanted in my chest 3 weeks ago. Each time before they start the chemo infusion, they will draw blood and run some tests to see how my body is holding up.

He said it wouldn't hurt, or not much, and he showed me the special IV needle they use. He felt around the port - I'd worn a shirt that was easily pushed aside to show it - and then inserted the needle into the middle. And it didn't hurt. But he wasn't able to draw blood.

He tried a few times, had me lie down flat to see if that made it better. Nope. He had another nurse come in to see if she could make it work. She said the thought the port tubing looked odd - that it was bulging.