#camillestrong: Cycle 1? Done!

Both days of Cycle 1 (out of 4) are done!!! For this clinical trial, my doctor wanted for me to get the two drugs used in the trial on different days so that my nurses could watch for my reactions and make sure I took them okay. So on December 21, I got the first drug and on December 28, I got the second.

For the Day 1, I was lucky enough to not only have 1 friend come to visit me but 4!!! My best guy friends Ravi and Karim drove from Dublin to be with me on my first day of treatment and also my two best friends from college live near Palo Alto so they were able to be with me as well. The day didn't start off too well because not only was the Cancer Center at Stanford running late, but I forgot to get my blood taken at the walk in clinic an hour before my appointment with my oncologist. My trial manager and nurse were a little frustrated with me. It isn't like me to forget important information but hey, I have chemo brain!!! ( I use this excuse for too many things). So after going back for blood and meeting with my oncologist, I was finally starting treatment.. about two hours behind schedule. Psychologically, this treatment feels just like chemotherapy. The treatment is going through my port, I have to sit in a big recliner chair for a few hours, and walk around with medical machine on wheels if I have to go to the bathroom. The clinical trial treatment for the first drug probably took about an hour, and then I got to go home by mid afternoon. After the blood draws, meeting with the oncologist, and treatment.. I was probably at Stanford for about 7 hours. These cycles are going to be long days.

For Day 2, I was lucky enough to have my grandparents drive up from Southern California to be with me!! My grandparents were never able to come to any of my 12 chemo treatments so right when I was diagnosed as relapsed, my grandparents promised they would be with me for one of my clinical trials. My grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer over 30 years ago so she has been full of advice over this past year and a half! My dad and mom were with me as well. My dad likes to come on his motorcycle to visit me at Stanford and then goes straight to work! And of course my mommy was with me.. she hasn't missed a single appointment or treatment since I was diagnosed a year and a half ago :)

You're probably wondering how my body is taking this clinical trial.. luckily I haven't felt anything at all!! It's amazing. Once I get home from treatment, I have been able to go about my day. I even went to Nordstrom (my home away from home) after Day 2. My oncologist has 2 other patients going through this clinical trial and they have complained about rashes and fatigue but that is about it. Maybe I will have these side effects in the next three cycles.

Cycle 3 will be on January 11. Usually, these Cycles are supposed to be every other week but with the first Cycle split up into two days and then the Monday holidays in January and February, the treatments will be more like every 3 weeks.

On January 14, I will be returning to Stanford to meet with a Bone Marrow Transplant Specialist to finally get all my questions answered about the transplant process. I have been lucky enough to have so many people ask about donating their bone marrow so I will let you guys know soon enough! Please pray that this meeting will go well.

I'm back at school at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo now!! We started school this past Monday. I had to miss my classes on Monday because I had a blood draw appointment at Stanford but I came to SLO immediately after. Unfortunately, one of my professors wasn't willing to work with me missing classes due to treatment so I had to drop a class. I am now in 3 class (12 units) and starting an online class at Ventura Community College next Monday. I know some of you might think I am crazy, but I'm a nerd and hate to fall behind in school! I also love to keep myself busy. While I am at school this quarter, I am also tutoring for 2 different families with elementary kids a few times a week.

Check out this video of me dancing' the cancer away during Day 2 Cycle 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTsTHjle70U