Thursday, June 26, 2008

First Treatment

In a nutshell, so far so good.

No problem with the radiation, which is very brief. It involves another very expensive machine with nice technicians but no shot. By far the most noticeable side effect is the black Sharpie dots and x's all over my chest.

The chemotherapy treatment was much more extensive. There are 4 drugs administered by IV prior to chemo - benadryl, tagamet, a steroid (decadron), and an anti-nausea drug (aloxi). That takes about an hour. Each chemo, and there are two, take about an hour to administer, also by IV. However, one of the chemos can cause significant allergic reaction, so for this first treatment the drip time was doubled, to make sure that I would be able to tolerate it. I had no allergic reactions, only a benadryl-induced slumber. We started with radiation at 11:00 am and didn't finish chemo until after 5:00 pm. Overall I'm feeling okay. Better yet, I left the treatment feeling hungry.

So, today reminded me of one of my favorite Carly Simon songs (before it was used in a ketchup commercial) - the Anticipation was worse than the event.

One down, my friends.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go Elyse, go. You rock, baby.
AKW

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear your feeling well and having dinner! One down! Bridg

Unknown said...

Congrats on getting through the first day. Hang in there.
xxoo Rachel

p.s. Anticipation reminds you of a ketchup commercial, and ketchup reminds you of burgers and fries ... no wonder you left feeling hungry!

Steve Beagle said...

Ali - awesome rope a dope you got going there.. jeez with reciting all those pharmaceuticals I can recruit you to join me in my business sector... Glad to hear you are hungry.. I am always hungry which is not good as I am perpetually on the Seafood diet which is actually whenever I " see " food I eat it...

Another great opening lyric from your favorite ketchup song..

"We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasing after some finer day"

Keep floating Ali...

love ya kiddo - wish I could step in and take some of your pain.. Steve

segue into your favorite category.. Comedy..let's stay topical all the way for a change of pace... _____________

Here's one in honor of Carlys' Anticipation...

It’s Carly Simon’s and George Michael’s birthday today. Both are very different of course — one’s an older woman who apparently slept her way through Hollywood . . . the other’s Carly Simon.

John McCain has a bandage on his head. Here’s what happened: He tried to answer the iron.

The Dutch think the world’s going to end on Dec. 12, 2012. It has to do with the Mayan calendar. That and a lot of pot smoking.

There’s an epidemic of snapping turtles in Central Park. I saw one today trying to mate with a bike helmet.

Hard shells . . . snap viciously. Like most of the women I meet here in New York City.

Heat wave in Southern California — 116 degrees in the Valley. So hot, Lindsay Lohan checked herself into a Jamba Juice.

John McCain and Barack Obama are bickering over what to do when they catch Osama bin Laden. Obama wants to bring him to trial. John McCain wants to shoot him. I said, “Guys — how about somebody finding him first!”

Government figures released by President Bush show we are not in a recession. Unless, of course, you have to buy gas or food or some other luxury item . . .

At a press conference, President Bush blasted Congress for not allowing oil exploration in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve. Democrats said it wouldn’t do any good, because it wouldn’t produce oil for 10 years. You know, the same thing they said 10 years ago.

I was filling up at a gas station today, or as I like to call it, Grand Theft Auto.

Top Ten Things Overheard on Hillary Clinton's First Day Back at Work

10. "Nice of you to show up"
9. "Did you win?"
8. "We chipped in for a welcome back pantsuit"
7. "Should I take the Madame President nameplate off your door?"
6. "Hillary's choking another superdelegate"
5. "On the bright side, you can once again partake in endless debates about agricultural subsidies"
4. "Senator Clinton, please stop throwing wads of paper at Senator Obama's head"
3. "I can't believe your shrill message of fear didn't resonate"
2. "Please stop taunting her, Senator Kerry"
1. "We'll begin as soon as Senator Craig returns from the restroom"


Hillary Clinton is out campaigning with Barack Obama. She says if it goes well, she’ll consider making him her running mate.

Barack Obama has started a fashion craze in Italy. Italian designers have taken his look and they’re turning it into fashion. Don’t sell John McCain short — he’s also influencing fashion. He has popularized the “something on your chin” look.

It was very hot in L.A. It was so hot, Kirstie Ally was using her swimming pool to cook spaghetti.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are going to be in a movie together. They’re doing a movie called, “What the Hell Are They Saying?”

Arnold Schwarzenegger met John McCain today. There was an awkward moment when they shook hands and McCain’s hand broke off.

An interesting study was released today. People in California are less convinced there is a God than people of any state in the country. On an unrelated note, more than 800 wildfires are burning out of control here.

There you go — God is real; he’s mad; and he’s trying to kill us.

It’s very hard for firefighters to get them under control, because the vegetation up in northern California, where the fires are, is about 40 percent marijuana plants.

Support crews are supposed to be bringing in supplies, but they keep bringing in Doritos and chocolate milkshakes.

Anonymous said...

If you flash someone, do the dots and x's make a design?

Joe Rosen

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear it went well and you feel like eating! Good job.

Anonymous said...

Have been off-line for the last few days and constantly thinking of you and missing your updates. The only thing I have to say is I recommend a steady chocolate milkshake diet (supplemental to anything else you can stomach!) Sending you love, Michelle N