We hear it often, so-and-so has chemo, so-and-so is feeling sick from chemo, the chemo made her hair fall out, chemo, chemo, chemo. Have you ever wondered what chemo looks like? Its rather innocuous. Its just a tube of liquid. Liquid that has to be wrapped in a biohazard bag, a liquid that requires hospital staff to gown and glove up to administer the drug, and liquid that sends parents home with gloves and biohazard bags for when diapers need to be changed. I have to admit, I expected a big production knowing the side effects. But its a delayed torture method…it only takes 15 minutes or so to administer. The short terms side effects hit hours afterwards and last a few weeks. The long terms side effects can take a lifetime to rear its ugly head.

I joined Ella and her family for a dose of chemo. I left these photos in color because it was pretty alarming for her Mom to see the drug as a red liquid. The hospital even tried to conceal this with a more pleasant green bag.

Ella had a trip to the hospital about a week after this dose of chemo. She has a fever and very low white blood cell counts (these are the cells that fight infection). She is expeceted to go home any day now.  Please keep her in your thoughts.