A week's Delay on the Chemo

Buck 2460, originally uploaded by Buck Cash.

I was scheduled to be admitted to the hospital for my next round of R.I.C.E. Chemo this past Tuesday. Before I get admitted though, I get labs done, then see the oncologist.

The labs showed that my platelets are low, so Dr. Vermuri thought it best if we put off the chemo till next Monday, so that's what we did.

I feel fine though, even with the low platelet count. This is a photo I took on the way home.

Casey and Mark introduce Michael

Michael-44, originally uploaded by Buck Cash.

My grandson Michael was born yesterday, September 18th, 2012. Yay! Mom and son are healthy, happy and terrific!

On Monday, I went in for another MUGA scan.

On Tuesday, I had labs, then a visit with Renae, who noted that my counts were WAY low. With that, Candace and I spent the rest of the day in the hospital on the 3rd floor while I got a blood transfusion. About the time I was wrapping that up, Casey was having her baby in another hospital! :D

Next week, I'm scheduled for another round of R.I.C.E. Chemo in the hospital, starting on Tuesday.

Everything's going great here!

Out of bed - Energy's Good!

Hospital 4699, originally uploaded by Buck Cash.

A few days ago, on Monday the 10th, I went in for a blood draw/labs, a shot of Neulasta as part of my chemo treatment, and a visit with nurse practioner Renae.

An hour before I go to get blood draws for labs to be run, I put a blob of Lidocaine ointment on a large clear plastic bandage and stick that onto my chest over the port location. It's to numb the skin there so it's not as painful when they push the needle through the skin and into the port.

This time, I misplaced the Lidocaine bandage on my chest, missed the port location by half an inch, and that needle hurt like hell when they pushed it in! Brought me to actual tears!

Then I went to see Renae, who said the labs showed everything looked good, did a regular checkup, and asked how I felt. I told her I'd been feeling REALLY run down since I got out of the hospital on Friday, not terribly hungry or thirsty, and a bit nauseas, plus having some pain on my left, which now appears to be pain associated with the lower tip of my spleen, which is still enlarged, but not as much as when this whole episode started. She noted that my attitude, which is usually very upbeat, energetic, smiling and laughing seemed pretty dark too. I confirmed I was feeling down in that department as well.

She said I was low on fluids and needed to get up to 64 ounces per day. Told me to take my nausea meds to help with my appetite and thirst even though the nausea doesn't seem "that bad" to me (but, she pointed out, it's enough to curb your appetite and thirst, and that's not a good thing, so take 'em), and to take my pain pills for the pain (duh) instead of trying to tough it out and live with it. Do that, and everything will get back to normal again.

These doctors really know their stuff, and Renae especially has never steered me wrong, so I agreed to do as she said on the pain and nausea meds, and to drink more fluids, then she sent me back to infusion for an hour-long drip through my port to bring my fluid levels back up, and for the Neulasta injection.

I started feeling a little better with the fluid replacement from the drip that afternoon, and by the next day, after eating some pain and nausea pills I had laying around, I was back to my former glorious self, with a good appetite and thirst, increased energy levels, and no pain.

Now I'm feeling just dandy here!

Monday I've got another MUGA scan scheduled, then Tuesday I'll do labs and be seen by Renae again. The following Monday I'm schedule for my next round of R.I.C.E. chemo during another short (I hope) hospital stay.

Everything's going pretty well here, and I'm back on track!

First R.I.C.E. chemo complete

Bald Eagle 1269, originally uploaded by Buck Cash.

Spent 3 days in the hospital getting another round of chemo (R.I.C.E.), and got home last night. Feeling just a little nauseated, but not enough to need any special meds to deal with it.

Saw a bald eagle flying around over the bay from my 3rd story hospital window the other day, which was cool.

All's well here.

The Day Before RICE Chemo

Yellow Flower 2040, originally uploaded by Buck Cash.

Went in for a follow-up visit with the infectious disease doctor today about the bug I had in my colon that put me in the hospital last time. He put me on a new med for the next month and said everything's looking good.

Also got labs today and saw Practioning Nurse Rene about the next steps. I'll be admitted to the hospital for a few days starting tomorrow morning to do my next round of chemo: RICE. All my counts and everything looked good, though protein was just a little low. More STEAK!!!

One or two RICE chemo treatments to go, and then I should be about ready for my bone marrow transplant at Karmonos, which will mean about a 3 month stay in the Detroit area while that's going on.

That's it for now.