After a false start yesterday, I finally got to start my SCC treatments, since my two recent surgeries had not found my primary cancer.
Yesterday, I was in the infusion chair, had my IV inserted, blood tests taken, but the doctors decided not to go ahead with the chemo because my rads insurance was still pending with no definitive ETA. But later in the day, the rads approval came through. It turned out to be OK we delayed, for a number of reasons which I won't go into detail here, but bottom line, I think I was much more ready to start today.
So I will be getting my Cisplatin on a once a week basis, per my inquiry to the Oncologist, and he approved that.
So I started 9:50am, got a steroid, 2 anti-nausea drugs, saline drip, Cisplatin, and lastly, a big saline bag. Finished about 2:55pm. No problems, I felt very good. They had offered me a sandwich during the infusion, which I ate around 11:30am, and had some apple juice with it.
The radiation followed the infusion, about 3:30pm, it's right across the lobby at my hospital.
My rads mask goes almost down to my shoulders, to cover my cervical lymph node biopsy incision. The mask is locked down so tight, I can barely swallow saliva.
This first treatment, involved a scan to check that all looks OK, with a short pause, for the Oncologist to approve the continuation with the actual radiation. But no removal of the very tight mask in between. So I go back in the tube, and I could tell the radiation started, because I saw strobe like lights go side to side, kind of lower then my eyeline. I couldn't open my eyelids easily to see if these were actual lights, but apparently it was some optic nerve reaction that some rads patients experience. I was tired from a long day, so I didn't discuss that with the rads technologist, but I will tomorrow.
I received some Aquaphor cream, and some SalivaMAX powder from the nurse, and called it a day.
I felt it was a very good start, I was happy to know the primary is finally getting treated, and if there was any residual SCC in the lymph incision.
One day of chemo and rads to cross off the calendar! Yea!