Chemo: Round 1

So, one day prior to chemo I am instructed to pick up meds and start taking one of them right away. I visit the pharmacy and I get a goody bag of:
Decadron
Ativan
Zofran
and Compazine

The decadron is an anti-allergy pill which amongst other anti-things gives me a migrane, cotton mouth and makes me feel cracked out. I chugged plenty of water to try and get rid of the taste of fur, but still couldn't get any good rest that day or night.

Now it is August 22nd, the big-day. I've left family drama out of the entries so far, but while I love and desperately need my family, they're emotions and inability to handle added stress made them ineligible candidates to accompany me to my infusion. I decided instead to elect my best friend who knows all I need is some good conversation and to laugh it off as much as possible. I know she prays and cries for me in private in addition to her own personal financial and emotional struggles that life throws at everyone, but to my face she simply shows strength and that's what I needed most of all.

Immediately the nurse frowns at my veins and goes for one near my wrist towards the top of my hand. Again, I whined about the placement being uncomfortable, but I didn't want to endure moving it. Well, the time comes for me to pee and when she moves my arm my wrist swells up and my head is thrown back in pain. She had no choice but to remove it so I could pee but the pain continued. She found another vein closer to the middle of my arm. The rest of the treatment goes smoothly, but I'm warned that my veins will only become more difficult to use and I should seriously consider having a port installed. So now I have a new decision to make and I haven't yet.

Decadron was only for the day before, day of and day after chemo. I also took the zofran for Monday and Tuesday and this morning I had to take a compazine because I felt myself belching which is a tell-tale sign of nausea. The Ativan helps me sleep but I'm still very dizzy, constipated, crampy and grumpy. Over-all it seems tolerable, but I can't say for sure if I'll be going back to work or not....