<a href="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/first-chemoaug14.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1907 alignright" src="http://pigyard.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/first-chemoaug14-225x300.jpg" alt="first-chemo(aug14)" width="225" height="300" /></a>At last the chemotherapy started this afternoon. It seems they were so short staffed that they had closed down a 6 bed bay next door to Jane's and they were shipping in people from Boston Hospital because they were closing the cancer unit there.

The first drug was <a title="Pertuzumab" href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/pertuzumab-perjeta" target="_blank">Pertuzumab</a> which took about 30 minutes, then a saline wash for 20 minutes and the final dose in this session was <a title="Trastuzumab" href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/trastuzumab" target="_blank">Trastuzumab</a> which took an hour and a half to drip through. By the time this had finished it was 7.15pm and the nurse decided to complete the medication in the morning. (This is a photo of Jane's arm and the drip)

So far Jane has had no reaction to the medication and we hope it remains that way.

Tomorrow (Saturday) she will get the <a title="Docetaxel" href="http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/docetaxel" target="_blank">Docetaxel </a>which should only take 30 minutes and we're hoping that Jane will be "released" shortly after lunchtime.

We're under no illusions, this is just the beginning and there will be side effects which Jane will have to tolerate but together we will overcome. Her next chemo session of Docetaxel will be on Friday 22nd August and then another session a week later. The other two drugs are only administered every three weeks so the triple session won't be until 5th September. Of course this timetable will vary if Jane reacts badly or she has an infection like a cough or cold.