Started the morning at work, giving leadership an update on the two-day Integration Kick-Off meeting. Left Waukesha after that and headed back to Milwaukee for chemo. The last week has been so busy, dare I say … I'm looking forward to chemo because I will finally get some down time. Yeah, that's kinda sad. I'm still so happy with how the past week went at work, so I'll take the chill time however I can get it.
As we walked out of the house… Heather opened the mail and sure enough, I've been summoned for Jury Duty in April. That's not good!
It was nice to have Shirley back in the lab, she's always so friendly and puts a smile on my face when she's accessing my port and taking my blood. Then we met with Dr. Flej, who asked us the usual update questions about my physical and mental state. We talked about the injection I'd gotten the previous Friday to kick-start my bone marrow production … how my cold & cough had resolved … and best of all, she checked out Vladimir (the tumor). She's convinced it's loosening up and moving around more, which is great. That means it's separating from my pec muscle. She had Heather feel it also. They both agreed they could feel the difference… yay! Dr. Tjoe had predicted and Dr. Flej confirmed that over the next couple weeks after today's treatment we should start feeling the size of the tumor shrink. Fingers crossed that is true. You are going down Vlad!
After meeting with Dr. Flej and confirming my blood counts had returned to healthy numbers again, we proceeded back to the infusion room for my treatment. Nurse Catherine was teaching a nurse from one of the inpatient nursing units today. I always enjoy seeing the teaching aspects of medicine. Even as a patient, I never doubt why I have spent my career in the Healthcare industry.
My mental state was much healthier today than it was three weeks ago. While there's nothing exciting knowing you are about to poison your body into feeling like crap for the next few days, it's a necessary evil to beat Vlad and kick this awful disease. The good news… it felt much different this time. When I was asked about my anxiety level three weeks ago before my first treatment, I reported an 8 of 10. Today, I reported a 1. What a difference three weeks and going through my cycle once can do. Today I also felt my headache coming on as I was getting my three anti-nausea meds through my IV before the chemo. Not to fear, they were able to get me some Tylenol as a preventative measure.
Dr. Flej had suggested I come back Friday to get some IV fluids, in a effort to prevent the dehydration that sent me to the ER last time. She also suggested to the nurses I may want to get a Neulasta injection. The Neulasta injection is the stronger bone marrow production injection than the one I received a week ago. I sure hope I don't need to get it… but if Dr. Flej feels it's important, of course I will. The bone pain was pretty yucky and the fatigue was leveling for the milder of the two injections. However, if this is what it takes to keep my immune system at a healthy level and keep my treatment on track, it's something I'll have to do. Fingers crossed when I'm back tomorrow it's just for IV fluids and no injection. =)
As for Jury Duty… Nurses Genevieve and Jessie were all over this problem. No surprise, their reaction to me attending Jury Duty during this battle was all about getting me out of it. Lesson #1 I've learned is not to be in large groups of people and public places. Lesson #2, I can't sacrifice my treatment plans just because I was summoned to Jury Duty. So, together they started working on a letter for me to provide the Court. I feel bad in some ways, as I am overdue my turn at Jury Duty. With that said, there is no way I can handle another stressor during my treatment cycle. Fingers crossed the letter will get me delayed until I've beat this and am cancer free.
As I was going to bed tonight… I learned an important lesson. I felt much better today leading up to and following my treatment. I think I pushed it with what I ate and next time need to eat more mild foods. As I was going to sleep, for the first time yet … I was convinced I was going to throw up. I didn't, although at moments I think I would have preferred to. Lesson learned here… eat milder foods the day of my treatment. Tacos before and a chicken sandwich after was pushing it. They were good at the time… but I did pay the price later.
All in all … it was a successful day and AC chemo treatment #2 is behind me. 2 of 4 down!!!
As we walked out of the house… Heather opened the mail and sure enough, I've been summoned for Jury Duty in April. That's not good!
It was nice to have Shirley back in the lab, she's always so friendly and puts a smile on my face when she's accessing my port and taking my blood. Then we met with Dr. Flej, who asked us the usual update questions about my physical and mental state. We talked about the injection I'd gotten the previous Friday to kick-start my bone marrow production … how my cold & cough had resolved … and best of all, she checked out Vladimir (the tumor). She's convinced it's loosening up and moving around more, which is great. That means it's separating from my pec muscle. She had Heather feel it also. They both agreed they could feel the difference… yay! Dr. Tjoe had predicted and Dr. Flej confirmed that over the next couple weeks after today's treatment we should start feeling the size of the tumor shrink. Fingers crossed that is true. You are going down Vlad!
After meeting with Dr. Flej and confirming my blood counts had returned to healthy numbers again, we proceeded back to the infusion room for my treatment. Nurse Catherine was teaching a nurse from one of the inpatient nursing units today. I always enjoy seeing the teaching aspects of medicine. Even as a patient, I never doubt why I have spent my career in the Healthcare industry.
My mental state was much healthier today than it was three weeks ago. While there's nothing exciting knowing you are about to poison your body into feeling like crap for the next few days, it's a necessary evil to beat Vlad and kick this awful disease. The good news… it felt much different this time. When I was asked about my anxiety level three weeks ago before my first treatment, I reported an 8 of 10. Today, I reported a 1. What a difference three weeks and going through my cycle once can do. Today I also felt my headache coming on as I was getting my three anti-nausea meds through my IV before the chemo. Not to fear, they were able to get me some Tylenol as a preventative measure.
Dr. Flej had suggested I come back Friday to get some IV fluids, in a effort to prevent the dehydration that sent me to the ER last time. She also suggested to the nurses I may want to get a Neulasta injection. The Neulasta injection is the stronger bone marrow production injection than the one I received a week ago. I sure hope I don't need to get it… but if Dr. Flej feels it's important, of course I will. The bone pain was pretty yucky and the fatigue was leveling for the milder of the two injections. However, if this is what it takes to keep my immune system at a healthy level and keep my treatment on track, it's something I'll have to do. Fingers crossed when I'm back tomorrow it's just for IV fluids and no injection. =)
As for Jury Duty… Nurses Genevieve and Jessie were all over this problem. No surprise, their reaction to me attending Jury Duty during this battle was all about getting me out of it. Lesson #1 I've learned is not to be in large groups of people and public places. Lesson #2, I can't sacrifice my treatment plans just because I was summoned to Jury Duty. So, together they started working on a letter for me to provide the Court. I feel bad in some ways, as I am overdue my turn at Jury Duty. With that said, there is no way I can handle another stressor during my treatment cycle. Fingers crossed the letter will get me delayed until I've beat this and am cancer free.
As I was going to bed tonight… I learned an important lesson. I felt much better today leading up to and following my treatment. I think I pushed it with what I ate and next time need to eat more mild foods. As I was going to sleep, for the first time yet … I was convinced I was going to throw up. I didn't, although at moments I think I would have preferred to. Lesson learned here… eat milder foods the day of my treatment. Tacos before and a chicken sandwich after was pushing it. They were good at the time… but I did pay the price later.
All in all … it was a successful day and AC chemo treatment #2 is behind me. 2 of 4 down!!!