First Chemo Cycle

I was terrified for days before my first Chemo session. I was nervous and teary and found it hard to talk to people. The clinic is a small, private oncology day centre, with recliners for 5 patients at a time. There was no waiting when I arrived, straight onto the recliner and a clear explanation given about the procedure. The specialist nurse felt for the port and was annoyed with the surgeons placement of it, The port is below the scar in my cleavage, making access less than easy . She had to feel through my skin for the shape of the port, ascertaining where the piercable membrane was. She showed me the L shaped needle and told me to take a deep breath, I felt a firm pushing on my skin, and then she was taping it down. I didn't even feel it go in. My relief was palpable.
I was given a small bag of saline to make sure it was going into the line, the first injection into the line was an anti nausea drug and then a bolus injection of the first chemo drug, followed by a bag of the second drug.
Again I felt nothing, no nausea no pain just a slight light-headedness. I was actually starting to feel elated and thought for the first time in weeks, I can do this, I really can cope. My husband, who had escorted me to the clinic, left to make business calls and I lay back and listened to my Ipod. All music I know well, quiet friends whispering comforting words into my ears. After 3 hours of treatment the 3rd lot of drugs was attached to the line. This was the pump that I was to go home with to have the rest of the chemo delivered over 48 hours. It was not at all what I expected, I was thinking a battery operated thing. It is a balloon within a bottle, about the size and weight of a small spring water bottle. It is placed inside a mesh bag with a drawstring and that is hung around the neck.
I stood to leave and looked in the mirror, I was extremely pale, a whiter shade of pale. I was light-headed and the bottle pump thing very annoying and visible, but still it was all easier than I had expected. One of my drugs has some very strange side effects and rule.
I can't eat seafood for the days I am receiving chemo, the drugs will react with it.
I can't eat or drink cold foods. No ice, ice cream , no refrigerated drinks, I can't even brush my teeth with cold water. If I drink anything cold my throat will spasm and and I will have trouble breathing.
I can't touch anything frozen, like foods from the freezer without oven mitts on, or bottles from the fridge I must use cotton gloves. I can't wash my hands in cold water. I can't walk on cold surfaces like floor tiles without shoes. The condition that will result in breaches of the rules is called neuropathy , a numbness and tingling in the hands and feet and a change in peripheral touch sensation , it may fade over time but is sometimes permanent.
I take 2 different anti nausea pills each morning for the chemo days. So the resulting no pain and no nausea and vomiting has given me a new lease of hope. I will have to lay around for 3 -4 days every fortnight watching DVDs , could be worse.

Tips:
My husband talked me into going for lunch after leaving the clinic, that was a mistake I really should have gone home to lay down, I was exhausted before I got home.

It is very difficult to pick stuff up off the floor without the possibility of wrecking the needle placement, don't try it. This morning I had to return to the clinic because it had partially dislodged and I was bleeding. So no heavy lifting or bending.

You can't shower for the days you have the pump in so may need help in and out of the bath till you get used to it if you are feeling a bit off kilter.

Any exercise while recieving the drugs. even up and down the stairs a few times has made me feel wonky.

They told me not to cook while I had the pump in, stay away from hot stoves and sharp knives.