Chemo: Round 2, part 2

I wake up at some ungodly hour after very short stretches of slumber. I decide to go downstairs and read and before long Andy joins me. We have breakfast, I shower, take my pills and we decide to go on down to Kaiser even if it is early. I check in and wait briefly. My oncologist apparently comes in early too. We talk, she removes the last stitch that refuses to dissolve and can't be pulled out by my gentle tug. It seems the knot is under the skin but Dr. Liu gets it out. She is wonderful! She also says there isn't any reason for me to wear a mask when I go out. yayyy. I really don't like wearing it. It is hard to breathe through it. Now we are sent to the chemotherapy waiting room which is just next door. But I am quite early so we wait until my appointment time. This is not a complaint. I enjoy people watching and am an inveterate eaves dropper. Chemo patients do like to chat with one another. One guy observes my pink bandanna and assures me that he was in my same hair situation last year. He now sports a thick headful of dark curly hair and I should expect the same. I smile and thank him. Finally we are called in. I am weighed and and have gained five pounds. This will not do. Must walk more. Oh, they don't scold me. I am scolding myself.
I get settled in my chemo chair and discover that the chemo nurse is the same nurse my friend Christa had 20 years ago! And she remembers Christa. She explains that Christa was a interesting patient and 20 years ago there weren't many chemo patients so it is easy to remember the special ones. She asks about Christa and is pleased at my report. Then the surprise comes. I am getting all my chemo drugs and I will be self injecting a new drug for seven days! What, no one told about this? Nope, this is news to me. But it is down in the orders. It seems because of my visit to the ER the trials people want me to bolster my white cell count and this new drug Filgrastim (Neupogen) will do that. Yikes, give myself a shot....I don't think so. I panic for a moment. Andy is not going to be able to help me with this, I am sure. What shall I do? Then, in a flash, I realize there is an answer. If she will agree which I think she will. I immediately call my good friend Jane and of course, she is willing, eager and able. Not only was she the Lead library media specialist and my boss at WCSD, but before that she was a nurse! I ask if she would mind coming over to the chemo clinic to listen to the instructions even if she does know what is what. Jane is a dear and says of course. And an hour or so later we sit and get instructions from my chemo nurse. And I'm thinking the chemo nurse could see that Jane was completely okay with giving the shots. Thank you, Jane!
But once again I jump ahead. I had talked Andy into not staying the whole time this time around. Last time I slept through most of the chemo treatment and figured I would do so again. But with the prospect of this new drug injection thrown in and with my talking to other people nearby I never got a chance to sleep. And the routine was a lot shorter this time because they could see that I tolerated a faster drip. After I was released I called Andy to pick me up but warned him that I had to pick up a prescription. By the time I was finished in the pharmacy I could see the old red mustang convertible sitting in the parking lot and this cool looking dude in a driving cap sitting there waiting for me. I jumped into the car and explained the new development with the injections. He agreed that he would not be up to doing it for me and was extremely grateful to Jane. When I got home I was really beat so I took a better than three hour nap. Dinner was already delivered from our next door neighbors and what a feast it was! Just the perfect meal for an after chemo treatment. Thank you, Karen and Kathy! And we also got another delivery of won ton soup and yummy chocolate cake for an off day. What a treat! Thank you Catherine!
Today is now Thursday. I slept better than I expected. Had my cup of coffee and then called Jane to see if she could do the injection. She said come on down, (actually she offered to come up to me but I figured she is doing me the favor and if I can, I will go down to her). She is a very good sticker! No pain at all. I feel as though I already am feeling stronger from this but that must be all in my head. Nothing could work that fast! And so I am into round two and still swinging. This is really okay. I am going to make it in style! I am invincible. I am the slayer!