Chemo day 8 - please, sir, may I have some more?

Round 2 of chemo. I'm told today is an easy day. I'll just be getting a steroid (Decadron 12 mg) and gemcitabine (2380 mg). It will take an hour, once I get checked in and settled, which means that it actually will take 2.5 hours. Strangely, the real-time lab machine that tells blood counts and hematcrit levels was off-line, so I don't know how toxic my blood is.  I'll go in tomorrow for a booster shot, and will find out more then. 

I had some questions for my oncologist. She told me that because gemcitabine was a less nausea-inducing drug than cisplatin, my GI tract likely would not be feeling as bad this week. However, between this and the booster shot tomorrow, I may be feeling aches, pains, fevers, and exhaustion, but no nausea. Small steps, perhaps, but welcome nonetheless. This means that I likely can cut back on the anti-emetics, which she told me are one of the reasons I have been constipated. Makes sense, I guess -- the anti-emetics make it so the food sticks in the stomach.  The effect is it doesn't like to come out either end.

My doc recommends I take Docuste Sodium and Senna, and hopes that, along with fewer anti-emetics, will better manage the constipation. As long as I can avoid the events of last Saturday, I'm all for it.

My doc also confirmed that I will not be getting an infusion next week, since in her experience few are able to tolerate it. She said next week should be "near normal", with just a lack of energy as the overriding factor. I'm supposed to be a keynote speaker at a professional conference in NYC on Feb. 17, and Jennifer and I had talked about going up for the weekend.  Hopefully we can go, but we'll book refundable tickets. 

Back at the office now.  Feeling ok.  Fingers crossed.