MUGA scan and chemo start date

I had my MUGA scan on Monday as a pre-requisite test for me to start chemotherapy. The MUGA scan takes a look at the heart muscle and its ability to pump blood. I passed with flying colors and am scheduled to start chemotherapy next week on Wednesday.

I bought a very informative book over the weekend called "The Chemotherapy Survival Guide" by Judith McKay. While I know a lot about chemo and what to expect after watching my mother go through it, I still picked up a few tidbits that were helpful to me.

The first thing I am doing to prepare for chemo is getting my hair cut short. I am not buzzing it (yet). I am just getting it cut short so that when it starts to fall out, it will be easier to buzz -- at least that is my hope. And who knows... maybe it won't fall out but only get thin. If that is the case, then it will look better short.

Who am I trying to kid? It's going to fall out BIG TIME. As I told my sister, my hair falls out at the first sign of stress or hormonal imbalance. I know that as soon as chemo hits my follicles, my hair is going to practically FLY out of my head (and other places)! I hope I am ready.

The next thing I am doing is visiting my girlfriends in Florida. I am flying to Orlando tomorrow and spending a long weekend with Carolyn and Ronni. The trip is long overdue and cancer/chemo is once again a great motivator. I am really looking forward to seeing Carolyn's new condo and spending time catching up. I have a feeling there will be a lot of cackling! hehe!

After I get back on Sunday, I plan to spend some time on Monday and Tuesday stocking up my pantry and freezer. I expect I will feel like garbage for a few days after chemo.

I am hoping the Wednesday infusion schedule works for me. I figure I can get my chemo on Wednesday mornings, spend Wednesday afternoons at home resting and then possibly come in to work on Thursdays after my Neulasta shot. If I can't make it to the office, then I can work from home on Thursday. I figure I will feel terrible on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My hope is that I can return to work on Monday, even if it means working from home.

My oncologist said I will feel pretty lousy over the weekends then start to come back to life the following week. She said I will then hit another valley on days 7 - 9 where I will feel extremely fatigued. By the third week I should start to recover -- just in time for the next round of chemo.

This should be my routine for the next four months. Good times!

My husband is concerned that I may try to do too much when I should be recovering. He is probably right. I just need to play it by ear and stay home and rest if that's what I need to do. Luckily, my boss is flexible and I know that I won't be given any projects that require a huge commitment or drop dead date.

Geez. What a horrible phrase - "Drop Dead Date" - I use that all the time!

Note to all you managers or leaders of people out there. If you have an employee who is going through a life-threatening illness, refrain from using the term "drop dead date" to discuss a project's due date. Oy!

Okay... where was I?

Work. Chemo. Rest. Obviously, this is a learn-as-you-go situation. I'm learning. And I'm going!