Allergy Alert!! Chemo #4

Well, Thursday I went into the hospital to have my 4th round of chemo. The Docetaxol regime. I was in the best frame of mind going into this chemo, as I was just glad the FEC (pukey regime) was over.
My blood counts were good going in, I had extra DECADRON (steroid) in my body, everything should be fine.
This was NOT the case.
They hooked me up IV style and let 'er' drip.
I wasn't expecting anything bad, and I was in deep conversation with a sweet lady across from me (who had been managing her metastatic breast cancer for 9 years!) when all of a sudden (about 2 minutes into the drip) I started to feel weird.
The first thing I felt was a warm feeling (like the drug itself) running from my IV site thru my arm into my chest. Then my heart started fluttering, then I started seeing weird balls of light flying around the room. I know, it sounds weird, but it was like little orbs of light jetting here and there all around the room and I couldn't see much else other than that. THIS is when I said something.
"I can't see!" I said. "Something is wrong, I am having a reaction, I CAN'T SEE!" I yelled.
Instantly, after I shouted those words it felt like someone tightened a noose around my neck so tight. I couldn't breathe, and it felt like my face and head swelled to 5 times its original size. My cheeks puffed out huge and I thought my head was going to explode! (My mom said there were veins popping out on the side of my head and I turned purple).
Within seconds there were a handful of doctors and nurses standing around me, they unhooked the drip and started taking vital signs. They also quickly hooked my IV to Benadryl to counteract the reaction. All of this happened within a time frame of about 1 minute. It was really scary.
I think it was so scary because I wasn't prepared or expecting it. Though I know that with chemo, every time you do a new drug you could have an allergic reaction, I wasn't really aware it might actually happen.
My oncologist started asking me what symptoms I was having, all the while I still couldn't see and was trying to catch my breathe. He was wanting to try the DOCETAXOL again, but slower this time, with more Benadryl, but when he heard my vision was affected, he seemed concerned.
He called my oncologist in Kelowna (the specialist) and they decided to stop treatment for the day and resume next week with a different (but similar) drug called PACLITAXOL. They are hoping I won't react to that one, though the chances are higher that I will react to it than a regular person (because it is similar to the DOCETAXOL). The doctor told me that I had a MILD reaction, which is crazy because I wouldn't even want to know what a severe reaction would look and feel like.
They kept me at the hospital for a few hours and continued to give me HERCEPTIN. Which is the drug I will continue to take for a year. The side effects are minimal and it was a piece of cake, in comparison. The amount of Benedryl they gave me, knocked me out and I was a zombie for the rest of the day/night.
Though my care was good, overall it was a bad experience. I am super sore from seizing up so tight. I feel like I had some serious brain cells damaged and now I am scared for next week!! I don't want to feel that again. I am praying I take to the next drug, because if I don't, they might try to put me back of the FEC for the last 3 cycles!! Nevermind the fact that this has put off my schedule and messed up my plastic surgery consultation. I am pissed at my body, and I am bummed out. I hope I can wrap my head around things before Wednesday so that it isn't so stressful going back in there.
I just hope it goes smoothly. As smooth as chemo can go anyway.