One Chemo session down, Five to go!!

Well, hello everybody, this is Sam here with the lowdown on how things are going for Alena. Yesterday, Alena, her mom, and I all went to Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento. We arrived around 9:00am, and met with the Clinical coordinator for the oncology department. Usually there is a class held for all upcoming chemo patients, but the doctors wanted to get Alena in there as fast as they could eithout wasting any time. We sat and talked for about an hour, covering everything that is going to happen during the next 4 1/2 months that Alena will be taking chemo. This fabulous nurse was named Sherry. She was a firecracker!!She had different colored fingernails, and crazy cool socks. She even shared some funny stories about accidentally taking her husbands vicadin pills, mistaking them for her calcium pills. She was a hoot!! She answered all of Alena's concerns with a lot of knowledge, and made all of us feel very comfortable.
Here's the best part. Alena was given a prescription a few days prior to all this for a drug called Atavin. This is a anti-anxiety drug, which women take before their chemo treatment because of the traumatic experience. Well, Alena took one, and then she was still feeling anxiety when the chemo was starting, so the doctor said she could take another. Well, I have never been more entertained by Alena, and she has never been more entertained by me. Alena could not stop smiling, and she kept saying, "I'm so happy" and she also said, "I like Atavin." I zoomed around like superman on the doctor's chair, making her laugh more. All this laughter from Alena attracted the nurses, which loved to watch her laugh. Alena then started to hicc-up, and then burp, right after. She then would laugh and make everyone else laugh!!! It was great! Her treatment took about 3 1/2 hours, having all the chemo drugs injected through an IV drip. Alena said that she could of stayed for another hour because she had so much fun.(Thanks to the drugs!) I think Alena's mom and I should have taken a little drugs as well!! Ha Ha, just kidding!
We finally got to go home, and Alena was not feeling well at all. She threw up a few times through out the rest of the evening, and we ended up having to call the hospital at midnight to see if we could get another medicine to help her get rid of her nausea and vomiting. I went to the pharmacy and got a suppository, which worked like a charm to control her stomach. She is able to eat today, and is resting and sleeping, and who knows what else she will do. Alena is looking foward to going to the temple this weekend. She will be blessed and strengthened so much!! Thank you again to everyone, you are all answers to our prayers, and you are all examples to me!!! Keep up your prayers and your faith, thank you.

P.S. Alena's next chemo is June 11th, at 11:15am @ Kaiser on Morse Ave. in Sacramento. Only two visitors allowed in the infusion suite at a time. Until next time...

-Sam