August 28, 2025

Starting to feel more like myself these days... Been in LOTS of prayer asking Him to help me out of this "funk"... asking Him to help get the devil out of my head. Cried tears at the alter at church, begging for His help because I know it's the devil making me feel this way and I can't beat him on my own. 

So, anyway, had to make a trip up to VCU as my new oncologist wanted me to have an immunotherapy infusion since my surgery isn't until October. No problem. Learned my way to a new area of the Massy Center at Stony Point. I don't know that I will ever get over how nice and compassionate all the staff there is. Granted, they may go behind closed doors and talk crap, who knows, but they have a fantastic ability with dealing with the public... always kind, caring and helpful. They seem to really care. 

This was my first treatment at VCU so I was in uncharted territory. First I had to get lab work done. Unlike the facility in Roanoke (they pricked my finger for labs), the VCU nurse accessed my port to draw blood. Their protocols are very different than in Roanoke. In this instance, the nurse put on a face mask and made me also put one on. Then she cleaned my port area and accessed it with the needle and access tube, but then put this larger sticky covering over it to keep it protected while leaving the tube accessible. That was different. Roanoke never put anything over my port. Just needle, hanging tube and a piece of medical adhesive across the needle. Never did they mask up much less have me do so. VCU also had me do a urinalysis.. haven't had that done thru all this either. 

Once I was called over for treatment, I was guided to an individual room. I thought this was because I was supposed to meet with the nurse practitioner. The attendant took my vitals as usual, then made me do not just a weight check but also measured my height. Interesting.

The NP came in and was with me about 5 minutes. She just needed me to sign a consent for treatment. That was all this "office visit" was for. Then the Nurse came in and we went thru the typical Q&A. She took genuine concern when I was telling her how I reacted to the "red devil" cocktail. She actually said she's only ever had 1 other patient with that reaction. My guess would be that this team actually told patients what to take over the counter that could lessen the blow.... information I wasn't given until after I wanted to die. She even looked at the rash spot I've had on my leg for several months. Agreed that the dermatologist should be able to shed some light on it. I told her I didn't know if it was a coincidence or not, but I had stopped putting any medication on the rash and it just so happened to be the same time frame I decided no more treatments, so I wasn't sure if it was a result of treatments or not. She was making lots of notes while we were talking. Like I said, these folks give a crap. After our meeting, she went out and was discussing my reactions to the last treatment with someone else and I then heard lots of keyboard typing. I couldn't see due to the curtain but my guess is they were notating my reactions. 

The nurse, Judy I think was her name, came back in a short time later and asked if she could get me anything while we waited for my meds to come up from pharmacy. Offered snacks, drinks and a warm blanket. I declined as I come prepared with my water jug and snacks. So I guessed I was getting treatment in this private room.

I then started checking out the room a bit more. My C3PO cousin was next to the chair I was sitting in, which was a comfortable "medical" recliner. There was a table on the other side of my chair with a nurse call bell and remote for the TV that was on the wall. The room had a sliding glass door with a curtain for privacy. I was impressed at the level of comfort given to patients during treatment. Definitely not the treatment assembly line that was in Roanoke....

In come the meds. My nurse beings to go over the expectations and protocols. She explained how certain meds require specific PPE, like some chemo cocktails require gowns, face shields, etc. I was shocked and told her no one in Roanoke ever had anything like that. They administered meds to us in their scrubs, no masks at all, and only changed their rubber gloves. I could tell she was shocked but trying not to bad mouth another facility. She then tells me she's waiting for another nurse to become available as they are required to do double checks on meds... meaning they have one nurse read the screen while the other verifies my info on my arm band and then on the bags of drugs matches the screen. Then they switch. The other nurse reads the information on my arm band and drugs while the first makes sure it matches the screen. Something else that isn't done in Roanoke. Keep in mind this protocol is being followed even though I'm "only" getting immunotherapy, not even a full blown chemo treatment. After all the checks and balances, my nurse puts on her face shield and gloves and hooks me up to my C3PO cousin for the next 30 minutes. She did come to check on me a couple times. Otherwise, I was left alone, in this private room. It was actually quite nice and relaxing. After my treatment was done, I was unplugged and on my way home. I have to say, even though I was definitely NOT the only patient there, I was treated as if I was and treated like I was important. Just a whole different experience all together. 

I won't knock the nursing staff I had at the Roanoke facility. They may have been given different standard operating procedures, but at least they were kind and compassionate. My main issue with Roanoke was the actual oncologist herself and the unfriendliness of the front desk staff. 

Here's a picture of me with my C3PO cousin, just to prove I have bounced back from the "red devil" cocktail, even if it took me about a month to feel normal again...