Chemo In The Class Room

 

OK, so today, I had to attend a chemo educational class required of all chemo patients before their 1st treatment. Eric, Tamy, and I all attended.
What is ChemoTherapy?:
Chemo is: chemicals  Therapy is: treatment
It is tailored for each patient based on the type of VILLAIN, stage of The VILLAIN, and the patient's overall health.
It is most commonly given by mouth, injections, or IV infusion
I will be receiving the IV infusion every other week for 4 months, 4-5 hour infusions each time.
What Chemo Does:
Hopefully cures the patient entirely of The VILLAIN
Controls tumor growth and the spread of The VILLAIN
Relieves VILLAIN symptoms
How Chemo Works:
It will destroy fast-growing VILLAIN cells
It also may affect fast-growing healthy cells
Side Effects of Chemotherapy:
Different drugs have different side effects, but the medicines specifically for me will cause loss of hair, may affect the bone marrow, digestive tract, and reproductive tract also may cause numbness in my hands and feet, shortness of breath, pale skin color, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, rapid heart rate, decreased Red Blood Cell counts, decreased Platelets which can cause nose bleeds, easy bruising, more extended bleeding from a cut, pin-point or purple spots on the skin, bleeding gums. I could get a fever, shaking and chills, cough or sore throat, pain urinating, flu symptoms, or diarrhea with decreased white blood cells.
I will be on several different meds to help with the side effects.  
While I was in the classroom, I could feel myself wanting to vomit. All this information was overwhelming. I look over at my husband, and he, too, is affected by the info; he has enormous tears in his eyes. 
Like many people, I have always had compassion for VILLAIN patients but never really researched or experienced it with anyone close to me. I am the type of person who will pray and fast for those who I know need the extra prayers, but I have a hard time talking to them. Not knowing what to say is a challenge for me. Since I was diagnosed with The VILLAIN, I have noticed that I'm much more open; I talk to people all the time at the Mayo Clinic, ask them what type of cancer they have, and let them know I care about them what they are going through.
2 years ago, a friend of mine passed away from The VILLAIN. Her husband has called me a couple times to see how I am doing. When he called, I told him that I always felt so guilty because I did not call Jami during her treatments... I didn't know what to say. He said to me, "now you do," so I guess this is something I have learned so far. I would know what to say now, I would know that a hug says it all sometimes, a smile tells me that you are thinking of me, and when you say "I'm praying for you," I know you are because I feel it.
I realize that the effects of The VILLAIN are different for everyone who has it; maybe some people don't want to talk about it...I understand that feeling because I sometimes just want my life to be VILLAIN free. I want to be expected. Now I know that my life will never be every day again; for the rest of my life, I will see an oncologist, the days of the "family doctor" are over, but every time I see someone who has The VILLAIN, my reaction will be so different than pre-VILLAIN life.