Port inserted, chemo begins...

So let the battle begin! It wasn't until 3 weeks later, after my tumor had been sent off to the Mayo Clinic in Boston that it was determined I had Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This is the rarest of lymphoma's but thought to be the most treatable in most cases.

I am a stage 2A. There is only 4 stages of cancer, each one mostly pertaining to how much the cancer has spread throughout the body. Mine is localized in my lower right abdomen and has spread into the bone of my right hip. (but not in my bone marrow) I had a bone marrow test done and it came back negative, thank goodness. Let me tell you though, if you have been recently diagnosed with this disease and have not yet had the bone marrow test done, make sure to ask for sedation. It is one of the most painful experiences you will go through! You lay on a table on your belly as the doctor uses a hand crank drill to drill a small whole through your lower back and pull out a plug of your bone and marrow. The feeling is a cross between your fingernails being ripped off down a chalkboard and chewing on aluminum foil at the same time. Not pleasant.

After diagnosis, then staging, then bone marrow test comes the portacath. This is an awful plastic and metal piece about 1" large put inside my chest with a long cord that is threaded into a main artery across my neck and down my chest into my heart. This is a device used to inject the chemo IV drugs into my body without having to use the veins in my arms which can be very damaging.
The surgeon kept me awake the whole time during the surgery. This made the bone marrow test look like a piece of cake. I haven't read on any of the other message boards that anyone else was kept awake and not put under for this surgery except ...lucky me. This was THE most painful thing I have ever gone through. And I have had 2 c-sections! I'm glad I got the port now but I still don't know why I was purposely kept awake & tortured having it surgically inserted. Here's an ugly picture of it. You can see it poking out from under my skin...















Here it is without the bandage:















My oncologist (cancer doctor) has me planned for 12 ABVD chemo treatments and then radiation on my right hip after chemo which should be around Christmas.

I had my first chemo treatment June 20th. It was scary, unpleasant and took 4 hours! That's alot of drugs. The nurses access my port in my chest with a needle and then hook me up to an IV pole. Then over the course of about 4 hours she continues to bring in several IV bags of poison that flow into my body. It's a strange feeling knowing that toxic, corrosive drugs are being pumped into you. What other choice is there though right?
Some of the drugs don't feel bad, others I can taste in my mouth as they go in. I bring tea or sprite with me to sip on the whole time to try to keep the bad taste out of my mouth. It's kind of like a baking soda/metallic taste. One of the drugs is bright red in the IV bag, Adriamycin, it's even nicknamed the 'red devil' it's a bad one. Even makes me pee red! Weird huh?

I had my 2nd chemo July 5th, 2006. I am feeling worse this time than last. A little more upset stomach, very tired, very cranky and just no energy. The worst pain I have is mostly lower jaw pain which is a side effect of the Vinblastine drug. I have lots of sharp pains now and then and alot of dull all over pain. I can't sleep well from the steriods they have me on and from the night sweats which are a side effect of the cancer itself, not the chemo. I take tylenol pm almost every night, which helps.

The sink was full of hair this morning as I was brushing it, so I guess this is the beginning of going bald. I'm a bit depressed but knew this was coming. It's just sad.