Phase Four: First Chemo
The day after her port surgery Barbara went to her work for some final few things she needed to do, said her farewells to her staff and received their well wishes, then returned home on official leave of absence for the duration of her chemotherapy. While the option was available to work through the treatment for some with her working in a hospital around the already ill and her own immune system to be compromised it was an obvious choice.
Barbara made sure to go to bed a little early that night, then awaken in time to shower and take her required medicines. A skin numbing cream would have to wait until the next treatment, since she'd just had her surgery. Breakfast, as she'd guessed the night before and smelled even as she left her room, was already being taken care of.
"Good morning, honey," she greeted Jim as she entered the kitchen and took the cup of tea that sat streaming on the counter.
"Morning, mom," Jim replied, flipping some eggs. "I almost have breakfast ready for you, and that's for you too." He pointed to a small six-can cooler that they once used on backyard camp-outs when Jim was very young.
"What's this?" Barbara opened it and saw a bounty of snacks from peanut butter and crackers to fruit pieces in a plastic container and a couple granola bars, as well as three small sports drink bottles.
"I remembered them saying that a family member could bring you something to eat during your treatment," explained the teen as he plated their meals. "But I'll be in school, and I wasn't sure if they'd let Laura give you anything since she's not family; I know doctors can be picky about that. So I decided to pack you something to take with you." Barbara gave her son a hug.
"Thank you, Jim. That's incredibly thoughtful, and you're probably right. Plus there's no guarantee that she'd be able to get a lunch break long enough to come to the infusion center." She zipped the bag back closed and Jim picked up their plates to take to the table.
"I really wish I could go with you," the Trollhunter commented.
"I know." They'd actually spent about two hours over the previous night's dinner discussing the timetable for the day. "Maybe next time, but this first round will take about eight hours."
"Yeah. You said they have to take it slow to make sure you don't have any kind of bad reaction to the chemo drugs." Jim couldn't help but shake his head. "I seriously had no idea so much went into chemotherapy!" Barbara chuckled.
"Honestly, neither did I. Thankfully Laura will be off her shift – barring an emergency – so she can pick me up after I'm done around six. I don't want to drive myself until I know how this will affect me." Jim just nodded and they were silent as they ate for a bit, then he brought up something he'd thought of that morning.
"You just tell me what you want for dinner. I'll pick up what we need after school so it'll be done when you get back."
"I thought you had training today after school?"
"Blinky will be okay with it if I'm a little late to get a few things, and I'm sure he'll let me leave early to fix it for you."
"Okay, but I don't want what's going on with me to affect your responsibilities, either at school or with Trollmarket." Jim blinked at her for a moment. "What?" At her question Jim grinned.
"Just hearing you say something like that, mom – it's not something I ever thought I'd hear." Barbara blinked in some surprise herself, as if she'd spoken without thinking about it, then smiled too.
"Well, I mean it, mister! I know it's going to affect things, but we are not going to let it take over everything." Jim nodded in firm agreement with her.
"Not a chance! Yeah, it won't mess up my training to come home in time to cook you dinner, or earlier if you're not feeling well and need me. Blinky's gonna probably have me in the Forge running drills."
"Ah, you've mentioned that a few times – the... Hero's Forge?" Barbara couldn't help a wry grin. "That's one place I probably shouldn't see you training in, isn't it?"
"Heh, yeah, probably not." Though she'd watched Draal spar with him Jim couldn't imagine how his mom would take seeing him being swung at by giant blades and dodging jets of fire.
The meal was finished with more casual conversation, then as Jim was clearing the table they heard a car pull into the driveway, and a few moments later there was a knock on the door.
"That'll be Laura." Barbara went to let her in.
"Morning!" The other woman greeted. "Ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," answered Barbara. Jim joined them to hand his mom the cooler and her purse.
"You'll text me, right mom?"
"Definitely. I'll be just sitting there on my tablet all day, after all, so you can even call me if you want on lunch."
"Sorry it's too early to give you a ride to school, Jim,' Laura apologized.
"It's okay – Claire and Tobes always bike with me. It's kind of our thing."
"Okay. Well, if you've got everything and are all set, Barbara?" Barbara nodded, shouldering her purse and giving Jim a hug, then following her coworker to the car.
oooooooooooo
The drive to the infusion center where Barbara would have her chemo was in a building behind the Breast Cancer Center. It also housed pain treatment and other medical centers, and served for any other treatments that involved a patient needing medicine via infusion. Laura cheerfully chatted with Barbara as they drove, sending on a few final well wishes from coworkers and double-checking with Barbara to make sure she didn't want the nurse to attempt to bring lunch. Though she'd felt calm on the drive Barbara couldn't help a small flutter of nerves when the building came into sight.
"Curbside service!" Laura chirped as she pulled around so Barbara could step directly onto the sidewalk in front.
"I really appreciate the drive, Laura." Barbara thanked her as she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out.
"No problem. As much as my schedule allows I'm happy to do it as long as you need me to. You'll send a text when you're almost done?"
"I'll find out when I'm about fifteen minutes from finished."
"That'll do. Have fun!" Barbara chuckled at the comment - how much fun was up for debate - then closed the door and headed inside.
Healer, become the patient. I can do this.
Much as she'd researched beforehand Barbara was directed to one office where she was given a simple checkup and had to fill out some forms, including one asking about her mental well-being such as depression and fear levels and if she'd fallen in the past three months. Then into a back office where nurses took her blood pressure and temperature, pulse rate and weight and asked some general questions about her overall health. Finally she was left waiting for the part that honestly had her the most anxious: accessing her port, in other words placing an IV needle into it to both take blood samples for tests and to administer the chemotherapy drugs.
While she waited Barbara checked her phone to find two text messages waiting for her. The first one was from Jim.
How's it going? Started yet?
It was time stamped about when he would've gotten to school. She sent a reply for him to see (if she knew her son at all) between classes: I'm waiting to have the port accessed, then the actual chemo will start. Seems it's a process!
"Well," she commented to herself, "that at least sounded confident." Then she checked the second one. It was from Blinky to her surprise.
Hello, Barbara. I simply wanted to wish you well in your first treatment, and say if you wanted you are free to contact me at any point.
Barbara smiled and sent a reply:
Thanks for the encouragement. I just might take you up on that. How's Jim's training going? A knock at the door told her she'd have to see his reply later.
"Come in," she answered, putting away her phone. A nurse came in with a caddy of supplies.
"Hi, I'm Kathy and I'll be accessing your port." Barbara nodded her understanding and as Kathy prepped everything pulled aside the neckline of her shirt to make it easier. "When was this done?"
"Tuesday morning."
"It's healing very well then!" She applied some alcohol, fanned her hand over it to dry it, then picked up the short needle with its dangling segment of iv line. "With it having just been placed I know you couldn't have used the numbing cream, so this might hurt some. Feel free to yelp if you want to."
"I appreciate the honesty." Kathy lined up the needle.
"Ready? One two three big stick!" The needle went it with less pain than Barbara had expected though she still hissed from it. Quickly Kathy secured it in place with a large, clear pad with adhesive edges. "There, well done! You took that a lot better than some patients. You can stop holding your shirt now." Barbara carefully let her shirt go slack, feeling only a slight stinging that was quickly fading. Kathy flushed it with some saline - Ug! How Barbara hated that taste in the back of her throat! - then drew some blood, then flushed it again.
"What's your name and birthday?"
The book said I'd be asked that a lot.
Barbara gave both and the nurse applied a sticker to the vials.
"Okay, you're all set! Just head across to the infusion ward and check in." Barbara gathered her things and made her way across the foyer. As she was among the first she didn't have to wait long before she was admitted into the infusion ward itself to be met by a smiling nurse in blue scrubs.
"Good morning! I'm Kristal; I'll be taking care of you today "
"Nice to meet you. I'm Barbara."
"Well, you'll have the pick of chairs for today!" Kristal led Barbara down a short hall into the ward where about a dozen recliner-looking chairs were set up, some lining the wall of windows, each with a little swiveling table and a pull-around curtain to give privacy. "We like to recommend the corner chair for first-time patients."
That makes a kind of sense," Barbara thought as she took the advice, getting settled. This one's a bit bigger of an area since it's in a corner and I can see the entire room and the nurses' the wall to one side gives a sense of security.
"Now, over there," Kristal elaborated, pointing, "are drawers of snacks and a mini fridge of drinks you're welcome to, and just past that - see the exit sign? - is where the bathroom is located."
"What's the charge on the IV machine?" Barbara chuckled at Kristal's surprised expression. "I work over at the main hospital."
"Ah, so I bet this is a lot clearer to you! About a six hour charge, so if you want to get up feel free. Do you want a warm blanket?"
"Not right now, thanks."
"Alright, just let someone know if you do. I'll go get your meds." Kristal walked back to thenurses' station.
"A lever on the side puts up the footrest." Barbara looked to the seat to her left, the last one in the row this direction, to see a woman in her fifties or thereabouts with a pink scarf wrapped around her head. She was smiling. "And a button on the inside lays the seat back."
"Ah, thank you." It was easy to find both.
"Margarine just finished her last chemo treatment," commented Kristal as she returned with several small iv syringes and an iv bag that she hung on the machine.
"Yep! Just here to get topped up until the weekend."
"Congratulations." Seeing someone on the other side of the ordeal as it were was encouraging. "This is my first treatment."
"You're in good hands."
"Okay, now this is your benadryl - it'll make you sleepy - and olaxy for nausea." Two syringes used. "I like to tell people what I'm doing the first time they're here step by step so you know." Barbara nodded her understanding. "And this is your Pepcid. It'll help with nausea too." She hung up the bag and set it's tubes into the machine. "Did they tell you this will be the longest session?"
"They did, because you have to check for adverse reactions."
"Good. Then I'll be back with your next bag in a little bit." She headed back to the station and Barbara settled herself for her first treatment. She checked her phone and wasn't surprised to see she had messages again.
Jim: Wow! I would've thought they would've already had you hooked up by now! You sure you don't want me to bring you something after school? Claire said her parents could give me a ride there and home.
Barbara replied: I'm sure, honey. They actually have snacks and drinks here for patients, which I didn't expect, and I have your cooler to nibble on if I feel up to it. This place is nice. And I also want to give the medicine time to settle and see how I feel before I try to eat anything substantial. Some patients have nausea fairly quick and there's no way to know until it happens.
From Blinky: Master Jim's training is going splendidly! I am starting him on beginner Troll language at his request, today if he feels he has the focus for it. I have another two books for you to read, translated and ready. I'll have Jim bring them to you when he returns home. He also mentioned leaving early today to prepare dinner. I wanted to reassure you that none of us here have any problems with our Trollhunter taking time away from us to take care of someone even more important: you. We know if we are truly in need of him he will answer our call. Even Vendel has indicated as much! So don't worry a moment longer; focus on you.
Blinky's words were touching, and it did put her mind at ease knowing the Trolls were for the most part okay with Jim's divided attentions.
The rest of the session went quietly. After all of the preventative drugs and showing no side effects Barbara was started on her actual chemotherapy drugs: Projetta, DeceTaxtl, and Carboplatin, each one taking about an hour and a half to complete at the slow drip speed. She read from a book she'd brought with her and played a couple of games on her phone, chatted back and forth with her son and his underground-dwelling mentor, looked through a 'new patient' gift bag, partook of the snacks when she felt it was safe, and soon after the final one was started lay the seat back and dozed under a nice warm blanket, rousing to her phone's alarm to send the warning text to she was somewhat startled by the iv maxing beeping for a final time.
"All done!" Kristal announced as she came over to turn it off and start prepping Barbara to be unhooked. "How're you feeling?"
"Pretty good, actually."
"Good! You took that like a trooper. Now, I have a short video for you to watch here in a minute - it's about your on-body injector - then we'll get it set up on you and you'll be good hi to go!" Barbara had been forewarned about the device which would auto-deliver an immune-boosting injection in around twenty-four hours, so this was no surprise.
The IV line was removed from the port with a small sting and a gauze pad applied, then the injector was placed. Finally, even as Barbara got a text from Laura saying she was about there, she was done with her first session!
Though I was expecting to be sick, she thought as she slid into the passenger seat. I actually feel really good. Maybe this won't be so bad.
((A/N: Much of this was taken nearly verbatim from my own experience. Including that last bit. Ah, famous last words...))