I had seen the oncologist in Hays twice. Once before the second surgery and once almost three weeks after it when I still had the drain. The drain was taken out on February 8 and my first chemo treatment was set for February 14.

It seems like all the major events have happened close to or on holidays. I was diagnosed a little less than two weeks before my birthday. I got my first pathology results saying the cancer had spread on the Friday before Christmas. Now I was starting chemo on Valentine’s Day.

Imagine the Prayer Pony

The day before a package arrived for me. The box was about the size of the ones Mike’s IV Nutrition supplies come in so when I saw it it was already opened. I was surprised to pull a Prayer Pony from the box. A woman who I had met last spring in the Touched By A Horse® program had sent it to me.

The Prayer Pony Foundation takes donations and sends the ponies to children who have cancer, who have a parent deployed, and to anyone that someone would like to have one sent to. The woman who started the Prayer Pony Mission and Foundation is a graduate of the Touched By A Horse program and had spoken at Summit. Last fall she was raising money to send 100 ponies to children in the Texas flood.

So now I had my own special Prayer Pony named Imagine to take with me for my chemo treatments.

My appointment was at 11:00 am with the chemo to follow. I didn’t know exactly what to expect.

My appointment was with the nurse practitioner. It was about normal, vitals and an exam. Then they took me back to the treatment area. Where I met the nurse. She hooked me up to the pre-treatment; a 72-hour anti-nausea medicine and steroids to help with any reaction and to increase my appetite.

Then they started the chemo. They did the bag of Cytoxan first, it took about an hour. Then the nurse gave the Doxorubicin which is given over about 10 minutes by the nurse. In all the treatment took about two and a half hours.

A Prayer Pony pair

During that time, I was given the chemo treatment education. The social worker came in introduced herself and told me about the services she provided including meditation. I don’t remember the title of the other woman, but she did all the education about programs offered at Hays Medical Center. She is also the person who runs The Boutique where I can get hats, scarves, and wigs. And I was also served lunch.

I had been looking forward to a nap because I had stayed up later than I had intended the night before, but my time was all taken up with activity.

I had felt light headed the whole time and for a while after. I later realized that this has always been my body’s response to motion sickness and that it might be worthwhile to talk with the doctor about that.

The fight is on. Fight Song

Onward. After the First Treatment.

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