Chemo is Underway

Hi Everyone,

We are really in it now! Vivi had her first round of chemotherapy last Friday, and handled it exceedingly well. While she was certainly nervous about the treatment (who wouldn't be?!), she was able to push through a long and grueling day, and with Vivi's usual humor and flair, she was even able to have some fun with it. At one point, she was using the IV stand as a dance partner (see pictures above)!

The chemo days themselves take about 6 hours. First, Vivi has a check-up with the Oncologist, gets her vital stats taken, and then gets sent back into the waiting room until she is called into the "Chemo Suite" for treatment. The suite is a series of about ten treatment rooms, two nurse stations, and three bathrooms. We had a very nice room with a big comfy reclining chair for Vivi to sit in, and a wall of windows with lots of plants. Not too shabby at all. There was also a TV in the corner, but we opted to watch one of our favorite films, Seabiscuit, on the computer instead.

The entire treatment was overseen by two very nice nurses, who were in constant communication with our oncologist (who was on the same floor) in case any questions came up. The treatment begins with high doses of antihistamines and steroids to ensure Vivi doesn't have an allergic reaction to the treatment itself. These are given intravenously for about 30 minutes before they administer the actual chemotherapy.

The first chemo drug Vivi takes is called Carboplatin, and is given intravenously for three hours. That is followed by a drug called Taxol, which takes about 45 minutes to administer. These are both very standard drugs for ovarian cancer, and are generally 80% effective - a statistic we are feeling really happy about!!

Again, Vivi handled the chemo that day extremely well. It was certainly taxing, and there were all sorts of new sensations to adjust to, but all in all, she took it all in stride.

The first two days after chemo were pretty tolerable, just as we were told they would be. At that point the only major side effect was extreme fatigue. Despite the fatigue, she was still able to come up to the lake house, enjoy a few nice swims, visits from friends and family, and dinner on our deck. While she wasn't up to riding, Vivi was able to make it over to her barn to visit her horse (perhaps the thing that makes her happiest).

After the weekend, the side effects did start to take a stronger hold. Again, this was not a surprise as we were told days 3-7 after the treatment would most likely be the toughest, and they have, indeed, been tough.

The toughest side effects to deal with so far have been extreme leg and joint pain, combined with nausea, and a complete loss of appetite. In addition, my mother has to take many medications to try and help some of these symptoms, but hates the feeling of being so drugged up almost more than she hates the symptoms themselves. Another difficulty is that her palate has completely changed, and it is very hard to find food that she can actually stomach. So far, Wonder Bread with peanut butter, oyster crackers, and baked potato have been what she craves the most. As you can imagine, this has all made her feel extremely weak and tired much of the time (especially the Wonder Bread diet).

However, it hasn't all been terrible. We have an incredible support system to not only help us get through the symptoms from a medical stand point, but also to help keep my mother positive, and make the best of the moments when she isn't feeling so sick.

Luckily, Vivi seems to have made it over the hump of the hardest part of post-chemo. This is now her second day that she seems to be feeling almost back to normal, and enjoying another relaxing weekend up at the lake. We have also enjoyed the company and care of my sister Karina who flew in from England for the weekend. Her presence has undoubtedly lifted my mother's spirits, and we have spent a large part of the weekend laughing, which, in my expert opinion, is the best medicine anyone can take.

Today, Marko and David are coming for a visit, which means all five siblings will be under the same roof - a gathering which happens far too seldomly. However, when something like this happens within a family, it is amazing to see how everyone comes together, and how that time together is valued in a much deeper way. In fact, despite the hardship of this situation, we have actually had some of the best moments as a family that I can remember, and I am sure we have MANY more ahead of us. It has made me realize that this is how time should always be valued, and how much I have taken for granted throughout my life.

In my next post I will tell you about the wonderful team of professionals we are building around us - "Team Vivi" is what I like to call it - but for now, I just wanted to let you all know that while it has been a tough week, Vivi is getting through it, and seems to have come out the other side with a smile on her face.

Hopefully it will get easier from here as we now know what to expect in the next round of chemo, and how to better manage the side effect that follow. However, it is a learning process for all of us, and a process that will have to be tackled day by day.

Again, we could not get through any of this without all of your love and support, which continues to pour in. Not one card has gone unread, not one bouquet of flowers has gone unadmired, and not one phone call has been unappreciated. So, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Team Vivi would not be half as strong without you!