Chemo...Round 2

It was June 9th. Today was my second round of chemotherapy. Since I knew that chemo was going to be a minimum of five hours, I was going to be prepared today. I packed up some stuff to take with me, a book and some socks and snacks, I also brought a jacket this time. I also thought ahead and took a stool softener, just in case. I had made arrangements to go to radiation early on my chemo days, so I went in at eight a.m. I finished radiation (day 7) and drove over to the hospital.
I checked in at the hospital and while I was filling out the paperwork to admit myself for chemo, I mentioned that this was the second of my five chemotherapy sessions. The woman that was submitting my paperwork told me that I should just submit all my paperwork for the next four sessions to save myself some time when I came back. That was a great idea! I got the paperwork filled out and my hospital bracelet. I was told that when I came next I just had to give my name and sign in and they would give me the bracelet. 

I told the nurse that I did not need anyone to take me up to the chemo wing, I knew where it was. I went up there and checked in at the desk. I got my room assignment and this time I had a bed by the window and a tv that worked. My nurse came in and got me settled, I guess she was good at IVs, because she did not have to send for the IV nurse, she put it in herself. I asked for it to be put in my left arm, since the last two IVs had been in my right arm and it was still sore from last time. She did the best job with my IV, she put it in my left arm right under the crease in my arm by the elbow. It was the most comfortable I have been with an IV, I barely felt it. 
I was started on saline and I settled myself in and started reading. A few minutes into my reading, the phone rang, it was the woman in charge of nutrition. She asked me what I wanted for lunch and read off the menu to me, I had so many choices. Lunch and a side dish, a drink and dessert. I ordered a cheeseburger and mashed potatoes (no fries on the menu), I think I got a chocolate chip cookie for dessert. Lunch would be served around noon. 
I was pretty comfortable and not stressed out this time since I knew what to expect, unlike the last time. Something was wrong with my IV pump and it kept stopping. Every time it stopped an alarm would go off. The first couple of times I had to press my call button and ask that my nurse come by to fix the pump. After about the third time, she showed me how to reset the machine. I spent a large portion of my time resetting that machine. They could not change out machines, because there was not another one that was available. 
Around noon the nurse came in to start my chemotherapy drugs, and told me that my lunch would be coming right after she started the chemo. She had no problem getting the chemo started and then brought in my lunch. 

It really wasn't bad for hospital food. I guess I had heard too many horror stories about hospital food, and after my surgery everything tasted wrong because of the anesthesia, so this was the first time I was tasting hospital food without other influences. By the time I finished eating and resetting the IV pump a dozen times, the chemo was finished and just two more hours of saline to go.

Other than resetting the pump every time it stopped, the rest of the saline went pretty well. After the saline was done, the nurse unhooked me and I went home. The same scenario as last time, I was fine when I left the hospital until later that evening when I grew very tired. I headed for bed, wondering if I would have any of the same side effects as last time. I guess I would find out tomorrow..........