The Last Treatment of Round One

Pace had her last Abraxane treatment Friday April 14. It was emotionally charged for us. We knew that they were going to try to make sure that she did not have another allergic reaction to the Abraxane. However, the element of doubt is still in the sub conscious and conscious mind. Pace kept a brave face as we had brunch before the treatment.

The hospital was so quiet; most of the clinics were cancelled because it was Good Friday. However, for the patients that have chemotherapy weekly, the oncology treatment room was open. Pace and about five others were getting their treatments in the comfortable chairs, like on the left, visitors get the card table chairs and a numb bum.

Pace took her place in a one of the padded chairs and put out her arm for the catheter. She’s told me she has fragile veins. The nurse says the real term (in French) is hyper-sensitive veins. Most of the times the nurse seems to take at least two to four attempts to put in the Catheter to deliver the chemotherapy; one time it took six tries to get the IV in.

The nurse got the catheter into a vein in her forearm and as she started the drip the vein collapsed. The nurse used another vein in her upper arm and proceeded with the treatment. Did I tell you that Pace doesn’t like needles…

They started with a saline drip, and then added an high powered antihistamine, Decadron to the drip to prevent another allergic reaction to the Abraxane, that took about 40 minutes. Then she hooked up the abraxane and they carried on the treatment. This time all was uneventful.