OOOOPS! There went my rug

Wow yesterday was an eye opening day. Oh, chemo went fine for the most part.  Some of my blood levels have dropped again, platelets and white blood count so Dr. P reduced my dosage but I did get a little something something from all three cocktails

Jumping ahead of myself and assuming this was my last full day of chemotherapy I wanted the juicy details of exactly how this next phase of treatmemt was going to play out with radiation.  I have never had radiation but have heard many stories of how quick and easy it is and side effects from minor burns to extreme fatigue.  Here's what I learned and you may want to be sitting down for this because it ain't pretty!

Pancreatic Virginia Mason Protocol goes a little something like this!
5-1/2 weeks of daily treatment (excluding weekends) but including holidays.  So basically a Monday thru Friday commitment:
DAY 1: Cisplatin, 3 liters of IVF (fluids to prevent dehydration), Interferon shot, radiation and a new pump filled with FU5 chemotherapy. 
DAY 2: Radiation
DAY 3:  Radiation, Interferon shot, and beginning week 3 2 liters of IVF
DAY 4:  Radiation
DAY 5:  Radiation, Interferon shot, and beginning week 3 2 liters of IVF
*Every Monday I will get a fresh FU5 chemo pump so basically I will be on chemotherapy 24/7

* Been told I will get very sick, throwing up, diarrhea and extreme fatigue and their primary concern is to keep me hydrated so every visit I have to pee 500ML into a bowl and if I can't they will hook me up to IV for fluids.
* This treatment is so aggressive most patients don't make the 5-1/2 weeks without a break in there to re coop.  So I think it more realist to plan on this taking 6-1/2 weeks.  Any time skipped for any reason will just be added on at the end.  So one way or another they are dosing you for 5-1./2 weeks, no negotiating.

It sound as though the soonest I can start is mid-November.  So I am going to start looking for friends that might be able to commit one day a week to driving me to and from Virgina Mason downtown (I live in Maple Valley) so it's easily and hour drive both ways.  And as you can see I need some flexibility of someone that can stay longer with me if I have to have additional IV fluids...they always take a couple hours.  I already have Mondays covered (thank you JR)!!!  Mondays are the long 8 hour days so that's good to have that one covered.  I am also reaching out to the American Society for volunteer drivers.  Once I have my schedule firm, I will post on here.

In the meantime, I am on my chemo pack get to go in tomorrow afternoon and get it off.  Then I have my full check up with xray, ct scan, blood work on Oct. 31st.  PLUS get to meet with my surgeon again and of course Dr. P to finalize the start date for phase 2.

For some reason I thought radiation was going to be the easy phase of this journey when in fact, it will be the most challenging so yesterday I just felt like that rug got pulled out from beneath me...........but like I told the Dr.  I'm in it to win it so let's get this party started so I can move on with my big fat amazing life!!!!!!!

Love you all so much and can not thank you enough for your prayers.
LIVE WITH PASSION!
DJ