Well, here I am in chemo. I thought maybe it might be interesting to know what goes on in here. When I first heard I needed chemo, I had no idea what to expect. In my head it was a big dark room where mysterious chemicals were poured into the bodies of terribly sick people making them even sicker. That is not at all what is going on in here.

Leather recliners are placed around the outside of the room. Each chair has an iv setup beside it and a set of drawers between each 2 chairs. These drawers contain all the stuff required for hooking us into the iv’s. When I walk into the chemo area, I scan for my favorite chair, I like one toward the end where I can look out the window. I look around at the other patients but most don’t make eye contact. Today is not very busy, there are only 5 of us in here, although more come in as the morning goes along. Some I recognize from being in here before, and some I don’t. No one talks to anyone else. It is an unwritten rule that you don’t ask anyone “what are you in for”.

After sitting down and settling in, the nurse comes over to take your vital signs and get you set up. She then sterilizes the area and freeze sprays it before accessing the port and plugging me into the iv. I then sit for the next 2 1/2 hours letting the toxins drip into me. Most other people seem to sleep during their drip, others watch tv, as I have already said, I like to watch videos. The nurses are extremely busy, hustling around changing iv bags, drawing blood, answering questions, settling people in, unhooking them to let them go to the bathroom, charting patients, answering the phone, even getting juice, coffee or snacks. I have been in here when the 2 nurses were nearly running from patient to patient, giving each one individual attention yet answering the beeping from the next iv unit.

Apparently, they used to allow visitors into the room with patients but some of them got out of control. I can see where it could be annoying to have a bunch of people talking when all you want to do is sit quietly and relax. Plus privacy rules now come into play, and patients are sensitive to the interference of others.

Well, now I am two hours into it and I am getting sleepier. Funny how that works. Headache sets in and the upset stomach also starts up. My nurse has always been so very nice to me. She gave me samples this time for the nausea that are one a day. I am hoping with all of the medications I can control the nausea to feel better by the end of the week for Nick’s graduation.

Sorry, signing off now. Getting that funky chemo head and there is no telling what I’ll say.