Well, late July I heard the words that would temporarily change my life.....it is melanoma. Throughout the next few weeks, doctor appointments, surgeries, scans and tests revealed that the rascal has trampled throughout my body into the lymph nodes....so it was stage 3b melanoma. After researching options, I agreed to explore the then only approved treatment ..interferon.
From the very beginning confusion ran rampant about this treatment.... Is it chemo or not? What are the side effects? Doctors tried to explain the differences, but to me the detailed explanation was confusing. I started doing exactly what the doctors warned against, and I turned to the gold ole' internet to get answers to my questions. Wow.... This stuff must be bad, because message board after message board were full of horror stories. My logical and rational side of me reminded myself to heed the advice I am constantly remaining the middle school students I teach....consider the sources. Why would people who had positive experiences have a need to go and report that on the internet. My logical mind assuaged my fears but still left me with a heightened feeling of anxiety.
On the first day, I arrived at the appointed time only to be filled with disillusionment at the lack of organization. There were issues and problems to be resolved... But ultimately they happened rather quickly and once again I was ready.
Dave and I walked into the center where patients were lining the walls in recliners. My first observation was that most everyone was covered in a blanket ...so I made a mental note to pack a treatment bag for future use. I sat down and a nurse soon came to attend to us. She quickly explained protocol and started treatment number 1. In Addition to the interferon treatment, there were pre meds, which included Benedryl. It was only moments after the treatment began than my eyes were heavy and sleep claimed me.
It took about 2 hours and I slept throughout the process. Other than a few brief moments of chills which were so intense my teeth were chattering reminiscent of the epidural the night my first son was born , I did okay. The ride home was noneventful. Mom had waited at home and I simply laid down and slept for several more hours. There were brief moments of nausea but the doctors had sent home meds for any possible side effect..... So all in all, it was pretty darn tolerable.
