The first step was to get a catheter into a large vein under my collarbone so the blood can be removed and stem cells harvested. To do the collection, blood is sent through a centrifuge to extract the stem cells that reside in the marrow but are migrated out to the blood stream with drugs.
Thursday, I was sent to an operating room at the hospital, put under anesthesia, and awoke to find a tube hanging from my chest, and three more tubes with colored tips hanging from it. The doctor had pushed the catheter under the skin to a spot just under my collarbone and somehow attached it to a vein. The three tubes hanging out are to allow drugs and blood to be easily accessed at the same time. It feels odd but there's no pain, and the only problem is showering. But a big piece of Glad Press 'n Seal and some tape works well to keep the bandages dry. So I was ready for the first chemo on Friday.
Apparently this drug causes problems with the bladder lining, so the first thing they did was pump 3 hours worth of fluid into me, then the chemo (Cytoxan), then three more hours of fluid. Two days later I'm still going to the bathroom about every hour. The Cytoxan is a mild drug I think, and other than some mild stomach upset has not caused any problems. It's supposed to start the stem cells in the marrow migrating into the blood vessels. There is another drug to push the stem cells that I start on Monday. I already hate it and I haven't even started. More on that later.
Thursday, I was sent to an operating room at the hospital, put under anesthesia, and awoke to find a tube hanging from my chest, and three more tubes with colored tips hanging from it. The doctor had pushed the catheter under the skin to a spot just under my collarbone and somehow attached it to a vein. The three tubes hanging out are to allow drugs and blood to be easily accessed at the same time. It feels odd but there's no pain, and the only problem is showering. But a big piece of Glad Press 'n Seal and some tape works well to keep the bandages dry. So I was ready for the first chemo on Friday.
Apparently this drug causes problems with the bladder lining, so the first thing they did was pump 3 hours worth of fluid into me, then the chemo (Cytoxan), then three more hours of fluid. Two days later I'm still going to the bathroom about every hour. The Cytoxan is a mild drug I think, and other than some mild stomach upset has not caused any problems. It's supposed to start the stem cells in the marrow migrating into the blood vessels. There is another drug to push the stem cells that I start on Monday. I already hate it and I haven't even started. More on that later.
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