Chemo Class 101

Winner! Winner! I am the winner again of the youngest patient award for the day. I’m not competitive much. Information is power…not FEAR. I remind myself as I walk into the room armed with my flamingo notebook and colorful flair pens. I am greeted by Rosa! Rosa is warm and inviting and hurrying to get set up because I am early (anxiety problems). I take my place with my goodie bag, 3” 3 ring binder, and water with snacks. This lady KNOWS what she is doing clearly. I mean as a fellow presenter these are all the essentials to learning! We spend the next 120 minutes together exploring the resources available at the Cancer Center where I will apparently be spending much of my time over the next few weeks, months, potentially longer, how to prepare for chemotherapy, what to expect during chemotherapy, nutrition during chemotherapy, and then the individual side effects of each of my chemotherapies. Here is where I learned that chemotherapy isn’t just one drug but rather there are a variety and you can have multiple. I am getting what they call a ‘standard protocol’ for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. My chemotherapy cocktail is called ABVD. Adriamycin, Bleomycin, Vinblastine, DTIC. ABVD. Rosa goes into detail about each one of my treatments, what to expect and their specific side effects. Here is where I learn about the ‘red devil’ WHAT? and that I will 99% chance to lose my hair. I let that sit for a while. I knew it. But some people who go thru chemo don’t. Rosa just confirmed it. It’s just hair. You’ve got wig options. You will be beautiful bald.

I take deep breaths and practice mindfulness when the feelings of overwhelmness start (my therapist would be SO proud of me right now). We are gifted port pillows…who knew that was a thing but I am told I’ll be thankful. We are given our “ER pass” card. A magnet with our symptom management care phone number. Our materials are now ours and off we are to this whole new world of chemotherapy. Information is power…not FEAR. I have now completed Chemo Class 101.