2nd Day of Chemo - May 6, 2008

My second date with Chemo started out as the first one did, with great optimism and my outlook focused on taking the IV with great ease.

So as we loaded up the entourage of Pat and Lorraine Larock (my 77-year old parents) and my eldest sister (she hates when we say that) Beth, I was relaxed, confident and pleased that I had survived the first week without any nausea or vomiting.

Just some weakness throughout and a couple of days in bed and on the couch resting and relaxing. I did entail some slight headaches Wednesday and Thursday but by Friday the tiredness softened and I did make it to watch my favourite lacrosse goalie stop a lot of shots in a cruel 9-4 loss in women's lacrosse at the Kinsmen Civic Centre. The goalie by the way is my gorgeous wife Jennifer who plays much like I did as a young star... with great passion and a love for being part of a team.

Back to HWY 401, things were going great on the 1.5 hour commute into PMH on this sunny Tuesday morning. However, when we arrived at 10:40 am things quickly turned from optimistic to pessimistic when I arrived in line for my weekly blood work. My number in line was 29 while the large neon-lit number sign on the wall said they were currently serving number 86. That meant 43 people had to go in before me and as I looked around, believe me when I say, it looked like a whole lot more.

Slowly and quite efficiently, I might add, the numbers turned on the neon sign and people went through leading up to my call as number 29. When I entered the room my nurse directed me to cubicle 14 where I started to roll up my sleeve for the extraction of blood. The chemotherapy lab requires all patients to give blood before they give your specific chemotherapy to ensure your blood and body is strong enough to take the dosage. Chemo, by the way, is very heavy duty shit. It kills everything (all bad cells and sometimes good cells, white and red blood cells) in its way to the cancer and so giving blood is very important to the chemo process.

Another step in the process is for the nurse to ensure you are the right person who gave her #29. So she asks your a couple of questions like your name, age, and birth date. This particular nurse wasn't smiling and seeing that I was in a proactive mood I decided to try and make her smile. "What is your birth date sir?" she asked. "March 26, 1965, now being fair what's yours?" I replied with a grin. Once a small smile started I knew I had her. She said, "Oh, its in August," When I quickly added, "And that would be in the late 1970's I presume?." Right then I knew my job was done. The smile swept across her face from ear to ear and I honestly believed I made the rest of her day. I know that because she said "Oh, and thank you for the compliment," when I was preparing to leave.

Next on the agenda was, of course, another short break before Chemo at 12:00 noon. We stopped at Druxy's for a drink and then proceeded to wait for the next 1.5 hours in the chemo waiting room. I played PSP while Beth and Mom talked and Pat, while he had his midday siesta, complete with a gentle snore.

After the wait, it was finally time to tackle the Chemo room, an area set up with a few beds and few chairs for people to openly watch you get poked, IV'd and then we all site facing each other to watch as the Chemo enters your body. It's OK though because you know what? We're all in it together. Each one of us in that room faces the same fears, the same challenges and each of us have the same hope. And that is that this public display of nurses poking, I.Vs running and chemo flowing is all a plan to work and each of us are going to get rid of the cancer.

The next part of this blog may seem frightening especially if you don't like needles. But I don't have a choice. I had to endure the pain and frustration of being poked on both arms and in the wrist 7 times before the nurses could find a good I.V line or back-flow as they called it. Seven times is a lot but when you've been through what I have, seven is three less than 10. It's all in the way you think of it.

When it did finally arrive and the back flow was fine, my frustration finally subsided. Don't get me wrong I did give the nurses a small piece of my mind at being poked seven times but I'm not that crazy to know that it is a difficult job when the veins will simply not cooperate. And remember what I said before about Chemo being heavy shit. If it's not in the blood stream and leaking though a vein into the muscle, then there's a whole other ball of wax to contend with.

All in all the day went pretty smoothly. I received my 2nd treatment and the good thing is that I now have until May 20 before I return again for number 3. In the meantime, I have an appointment tomorrow (May 8) back at PMH for an MRI on my face region where I have been having some discomfort and they want to check it out to make sure the cancer has not returned to that original region. Then it's rest and relaxation with my family with hope that I can contend with treatment #2 and be able to watch Trent play lacrosse and try out for AA hockey this weekend.

As for my entourage yesterday, they are very special people to me and I want to thank them for sharing in my adventure.

My Dad, who has always supported me in my life, continues to be the comedian when we are at the hospital. I guess his philosophy has rubbed off on me, like many of his others, and that is too make someone smile who might not be very happy. Without smiles, the world would be a very sad place.

And to my sister, who has always been a second mother to me because she was 12 when I was born and therefore the perfect age for helping with such a sick child. She's always been there and supported me through hospital and life and always with great love. A lot of people know my father, brothers and I throughout the community but it always been my sister and my mother responsible for keeping us all so close as a family.

And finally to my mom, who will celebrate being my lucky mother for the 43rd time this weekend on Mothers Day. And that is certainly something to celebrate. She's been the one who is responsible for me having a level head, good job and great attitude about beating this disease, not to mention my other health problems. She's never told me but I've heard that I wasn't suppose to leave the hospital after birth. But she knew differently. She believed in me. She knew the odds were supposed to be beaten and she kindled the love that made it happen. I have always cherished every moment I am around her.

We should all cherish every moment we have with our families and our friends. Because life is simply way too short to not too.

Thanks for reading and sharing...

Next Blog - Chemo Treatment #3 ... May 20, 2008