The end of the infusion center story...

We waited at the infusion center for nearly five hours before we were finally seen. The infusion took 30 minutes and was not terrible by itself; however, after waiting filled with intense anxiety in such a dreadful environment, I totally lost it when it was my turn. This treatment signaled the beginning of an unpleasant year or more of managing side effects and I was overwhelmed.

The side effects wasted little time. I woke up at 1am with hip pain and a rash. The rash is on my chest, neck, and some of my face that looks like a hybrid between measles and acne--super attractive! (I notified my doctor and his nurse prescribed some cream.) 

Today (7/19/19), I took my first dose of axitinib, which is the second half of my treatment. So far, I've had some abdominal pain and a few other minor side effects, but am generally doing ok. Chris keeps reminding me that side effects have been correlated with the treatment working. So, the more uncomfortable I am; the more likely it is that this will work... hooray.