Chemotherapy

June 2005

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear chemotherapy? Mom’s was my hair. Hehe. Silly, it should’ve been the least of her worries.

We were blessed with great doctors whom we owe so much coz we don’t pay their huge PFs hehehe. Dr. Didith De Villa, took care of Mom during her chemotherapy. Mom’s first chemo was 4 cycles of 3 days intense treatment. Our first chemo was probably the easiest and the hardest of all four.

Easiest because she was still physically strong. It was still easy for her to move around. She still had an appetite. In fact, while waiting for the chemo to start, we were watching food network at Cardinal Santos’ Cancer Research Center, she was like, I want to eat this. Then she’d see something else and would change her mind. In short, she wanted to eat everything. Her veins were still fresh and not brittle, it was still easy to find and stick a needle for her IV. And mostly, she still had no idea what’s in store for her after chemo.

Hardest because we didn’t know what to expect, we weren’t prepared for the 33 Pesos charge per cotton ball, (I still have the billings to show you) nor the 200++ charge per use of the sugar monitor which we have at home. Nor were we prepared for the complications that later played havoc with her. Her sudden rise of temperature, chills, blistering mouth sores, and lack of appetite.