Hi All,
I thought I was going to have an outpatient hospital stay to try the Taxol again but I found out Thursday afternoon that it had to be an inpatient admit. Lindsay called me Thursday evening and said that a bed was being held for me. She had worked that day so she went home to change and then Shannon and I met Taylor and her at St. Mary’s. I was wheeled up to my room about 8pm. When they do a chemo treatment, the chemo patient is required to have a private room so another sick person won’t send germs to the chemo patient. Shannon had to leave about 8:30 cuz he had to get up and go to work on Friday. Lindsay and Taylor stayed until around 10pm. The nurse tried to access my porta cath and after 2 sticks was unsuccessful. She called in another nurse who tried a couple of times and still couldn’t get it. So they did a regular arm IV so I could be hydrated over-night. I sat up and read until midnight when the nurse came in and have me night time meds. I fell asleep around 12:30am.
The gal came in at 4am to take vitals, a guy came in at 5am to take blood, and the nurse came in at 6am to give me the thyroid med. Lindsay got there around 7am. Needless to say, not much sleep was had Thursday night.
They couldn’t start the chemo meds cuz the guy who mixes them didn’t come in until noon on Friday. I had been having such severe abdominal cramping for the past several days. I had to have help getting in and out of bed, I couldn’t straighten up to walk, and the pain was so intense that I could not even get into my sewing studio. I had started taking Vicodan again for the pain (which I hate to take) but it really didn’t do anything except make me sleepy. The oncologist came in around 8am Friday morning and said I shouldn’t be in that much pain so he ordered a CT scan of the abdomen. I had to drink a couple of 12oz cups of some kind of potion that they mixed with orange juice. Then they came around 11am to wheel me down to the room. The scan itself was uneventful. They did oral and IV contrast.
The oncologist ordered a med to help with the cramping and within an hour I was able to get in and out of the bed almost unassisted. By the late afternoon the pain was almost completely gone. My nurse called in another nurse from radiology who was an expert on porta caths. She only had to try twice and she was able to get in. The CT scan results showed “marked improvement from previous CT scan”. There was no indication of any problems new problems. Yeah!
They finally got the chemo drugs at 4pm and started the pre meds (anti-nausea). Lindsay had her friend in the ICU come down and they set up a crash cart in case I had another reaction. I was wired up to it and at about 5:30 they started the Taxol. I had NO PROBLEMS!!! I tolerated it fine and after the Taxol I had the Carboplatin. Lindsay left around 10pm as she had been there all day and she had to get up in the morning to run 10 miles. She and her friend are running a half marathon on May 1 and she is in training mode again. Shannon and I left around 11:15pm and were home by midnight.
The abdominal pain was so minimal that I was able to do everything for myself. The oncologist had called in an RX for the med so we will pick it up today. It’s amazing how one’s outlook on life is altered between intense, extended pain and then virtually no pain. I feel like I’m really living again. I woke up at 8am this morning and feel great. I’ll take the anti-nausea pills over the next couple of days as directed. When Shannon gets up we will go to breakfast (I ate very little yesterday – crackers mostly) cuz I feel hungry again. Then we will go to the post office to get the mail, then to Lowe’s to purchase a Weed Whacker so my son can tackle those pesky weeds, and to the pharmacy to pick up that RX. Then I hope to feel good enough to get into my sewing studio and finish up one UFO (quilting speak for UnFinished Object) and start a new kit.
Tomorrow we are going to Betty’s for Easter dinner. Shannon is making his famous deviled eggs and Lindsay is making her equally famous Chinese Chicken Salad. Shannon took Monday off so he could stay later tomorrow night and not worry about being able to get up at 4:30am on Monday to go to work.
So hopefully I will be feeling good so I can enjoy being with family and friends for this holiday weekend.
Happy Easter to all and thank you again for your continued encouragement, support and love!
Hugs,
Dar
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