Chemo Begins
Despite the additional biopsy yesterday, chemo was still able to begin! (Feels weird using an exclamation point, but we're considering anything that was part of the original plan a win.) Charlotte has been handling these long days like an absolute rockstar, which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
(Be warned that this post contains wildly impressive medical terminology. Still waiting on my honorary MD from Harvard, but I imagine that should be coming via USPS any day now.)
The process started with 2 hours of hydration. Before any chemo meds could be given, we needed to be sure Charlotte was well hydrated. (We = trained professionals.) On top of the water she was drinking on her own and the solution they were administering through her port, she was deemed good to go.
The first medication given was dexrazoxane, something they provide to decrease the heart damage that can be caused by other chemotherapy drugs. This was a 15-minute infusion, given simultaneously with other fluids to maintain hydration levels. Once that was complete, she moved onto doxorubicin, which they lovingly nicknamed "Red Devil." That is because it is a bright red liquid, which is alarming when you first glance at the line it travels through. Again, this was a quick infusion - only 15 minutes.
After the doxorubicin, Charlotte was given a handful of anti-nausea medication, as the final med (cisplatin) is typically associated with causing nausea. Cisplatin would be a 4-hour infusion and would work while Charlotte was asleep. Anti-nausea medication, along with Tylenol, would continue to be administered throughout the night. The final piece of the puzzle is 12 hours of hydration, to help flush the system.
Charlotte did well with the constant beeping from the IV pole, frequent bathroom trips, and the late night check-ins for vitals/meds. So far today, though, she is wiped. Woke up feeling a bit nauseous and is in & out of sleep.
I snuck out this morning for a quick trip home - dropped off dirty laundry, showered, and grabbed a few snacks to replenish our supply. Connor is now doing the same. (Teamwork makes the dream work!) Charlotte will be given the same meds - dexrazoxane, doxorubicin, cisplatin - tonight, which means another night at Hotel SCH. Assuming things are on-time and her output/levels are OK after the 12-hour hydration, we should be cleared to go home tomorrow afternoon.
It's been a hard weekend. I say that knowing full well it's been much harder for Charlotte than for me. I would give anything to trade places with her, to have her go to school tomorrow, to be with her friends. I know I've been throwing humor into my posts - it's really a defense mechanism. Because if I don't find something to laugh about, I will undoubtedly cry. Consider this your invitation to send me all the memes. Please & thank you!