So 6 days after I entered the hospital from my last entry I came home. I was home for 2 whole days and went right back in for another 4 days...yesterday I came back home...so let me elaborate.
After I got home (from the first 6 day stay) I went right to bed I had developed an infection called c-diff in my intestinal tract so they put me on an antibiotic and since I was no longer nutripenic it was OK to go home...
It's 2 days later (Sunday) and 3 a.m. I wake up screaming in pain and actually put up with it (with the help of about 6 percoset and a bunch of Ibuprofen) all day. The pain meds I took only just barely took the edge off. On at least three separate occassions Clayton said I should call the Doctor...ya, ya, ya,...blah...blah...blah...Then as I got to thinking about it since I had just had a 6 day stint and most of the problem had to do with my blood and some of the symptoms seemed like a blood clot I got a little nervous and thought that maybe he was right and I called NIH since it was sunday I didn't expect much....but NOOOOOOOOOO...they said "you better get here as soon as you can." Aww crap...so (after clayton was smart enough to pack me an overnight bag) we piled in the car and we're off.
They put me in a bed send for the Doctor and give me some dilautid, IV Push. Holy Crap Batman that stuff worked fast!!! I don't remember getting to the X-Ray department I sorta remember coming back because we had to stop in the hall way on the way back to my room, I threw up. Clayton said that the nurse was running for anything I could use before I lost it over the carpeting.
They admitted me and apparently clayton and the nurse did some good nurse bad nurse gag (no I don't remember it) but apperantly he was the bad nurse and I told the other nurse that he was a big teddy bear...lol...anyway...after he left and I started to get some sense back the pain started coming back....so I got some more dilautid...boo ya!!!! Out like a light and as I'm coming down from that batch once again I decide to hurl...this time I was ready but man did I have a hangover!!! Haven't had one in about 12 years since I stopped drinking and let me tell you what I was not pretty!!!
So I told the Dr's. No MAS!!!! Give me something else!!! So they decided that I should be visited by the Pain and Pallative Care department. Before that they gave me something called Toradal (IV Push) it was like a super Ibuprofen...it worked pretty well but I could only have it once every 12 hours. Then the P and P folks came and gave me something called Neurontin...not a bad drug...helped me sleep 10 hours but at the same time it took the pain away a little to. So on Wed I got my PICC line in and my next round of Chemo started and sent me home with my new drugs...and that brings me to the end of my story.
I'm feeling better now and went to the acupuncturist today and then on to NIH to visit the P&P
clinic where they wanted to do an acupunture treatment and told them I already had one for the day...I didn't think that they would be that on the ball! So we rescheduled for next week and then I got to visit with the support therapist which was actually quite nice to just blab on and on for an hour...and not once did he say "...and how does that make you feel?"
Maybe now I can keep up for a while and talk about some other things going on...for right now I'm just going to say...Good Night!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
You're Never Gonna Believe This One
I'm currently in the hospital, and I'm not doing the typing. One of my students is typing for me because I am so tired and weak that I cannot do it for myself, and I am way behind.
So let's start with the new round of Chemo. It was on a Wednesday, April 2nd (you're gonna laugh at this . . . I'm being interviewed by the nurse while I am doing this . . . multi-tasking). They gave me the Chemo without a problem but they also had to give me a spinal tap of something called Mexceltrethate, which I had a reaction to. It caused something called Arachnoiditis- it is one of the linings of the spinal cord in the brain. It caused inflammation and massive headaches, and it has lasted for the past ten days. So they had to give me something else when they had to do another spinal tap Chemo injection. This is part of the routine, but apparently, rarely some people develop reactions like I did. I don't know what the name of the new drug is, but today is the first day that the pain in my head has been manageable.
On Monday, the 7th, I came into the hospital to have bloodwork done and they kept me. I was dehydrated. So I was here all day getting an IV fluid and they sent me home. Still had the headache, but they said it would go away. Now I don't want you to think that these doctors are bad. They aren't. They are actually quite awesome. But like all good doctors they gave me drugs to get rid of the headache. These drugs have a side effect- dehydration and constipation. So on Thursday when I came to pick up my shot supplies, they took one look at me and decided that I needed some more help. And, once again, I was in the day hospital. I forgot to go home with the shot stuff. In the meantime, during all of this, I have been incredibly sick and weak.
Clayton, bless his heart, tries to do the best he can. But I think he is a little frustrated. Actually I am pretty sure he is because I read his blogs, and I think this is getting to him as much as it is getting to me. And to be honest I am not sure how much more of this I can take. I hate not eating. I have lost 5 punds in a week. I have mouth sores from the medication and this morning I had a fever. Now this is where you're gonna laugh again, the same student who is typing this out agreed to take me up here to get my shot stuff and it was only supposed to take an hour (because I forgot it on Thursday when I left). The nurses, on the ball as usual, took one look at me and decided to take my vitals, some blood, and now I'm admitted for the next few days. Only me, right?
I have what's called Neutrapenia. I'm anemic and I have about 38 white blood cells. The cause of this is that they gradually increase the Chemo each time and this is to be expected for this time in the course of my treatment. The doctor on call was happy that I had come in when I did so we caught it early. I've sitll got a bit of a fever. I've got an IV in me. And they game me antibitotics. I'm tryhing to eat. It looks really good . . . baked salmon with carrots and green beans, but I'm slow to eat. And not because of the food. The food is actually quite good. But the sores in my mouth stop me from eating too fast.
I have to tell you between the sickness itself and everything else going on, I'm just not sure I want to finish this up. Clayton called me back after he had found out that I was going to go into the hospital. He said, "I think I forgot something." I asked, "What was that?" He said, "I love you." I was crying like a baby at that statement. I guess you can't go wrong with that kind of support. Even with my student sitting next to me showing support, it's really hard. I guess I'm supposed to take it one day at a time, but this one really threw me for a loop. Well, before I become a blubbering baby and somebody's fingers become really tired I'm going to sign off for now.
Love, peace, and light.
Scott
So let's start with the new round of Chemo. It was on a Wednesday, April 2nd (you're gonna laugh at this . . . I'm being interviewed by the nurse while I am doing this . . . multi-tasking). They gave me the Chemo without a problem but they also had to give me a spinal tap of something called Mexceltrethate, which I had a reaction to. It caused something called Arachnoiditis- it is one of the linings of the spinal cord in the brain. It caused inflammation and massive headaches, and it has lasted for the past ten days. So they had to give me something else when they had to do another spinal tap Chemo injection. This is part of the routine, but apparently, rarely some people develop reactions like I did. I don't know what the name of the new drug is, but today is the first day that the pain in my head has been manageable.
On Monday, the 7th, I came into the hospital to have bloodwork done and they kept me. I was dehydrated. So I was here all day getting an IV fluid and they sent me home. Still had the headache, but they said it would go away. Now I don't want you to think that these doctors are bad. They aren't. They are actually quite awesome. But like all good doctors they gave me drugs to get rid of the headache. These drugs have a side effect- dehydration and constipation. So on Thursday when I came to pick up my shot supplies, they took one look at me and decided that I needed some more help. And, once again, I was in the day hospital. I forgot to go home with the shot stuff. In the meantime, during all of this, I have been incredibly sick and weak.
Clayton, bless his heart, tries to do the best he can. But I think he is a little frustrated. Actually I am pretty sure he is because I read his blogs, and I think this is getting to him as much as it is getting to me. And to be honest I am not sure how much more of this I can take. I hate not eating. I have lost 5 punds in a week. I have mouth sores from the medication and this morning I had a fever. Now this is where you're gonna laugh again, the same student who is typing this out agreed to take me up here to get my shot stuff and it was only supposed to take an hour (because I forgot it on Thursday when I left). The nurses, on the ball as usual, took one look at me and decided to take my vitals, some blood, and now I'm admitted for the next few days. Only me, right?
I have what's called Neutrapenia. I'm anemic and I have about 38 white blood cells. The cause of this is that they gradually increase the Chemo each time and this is to be expected for this time in the course of my treatment. The doctor on call was happy that I had come in when I did so we caught it early. I've sitll got a bit of a fever. I've got an IV in me. And they game me antibitotics. I'm tryhing to eat. It looks really good . . . baked salmon with carrots and green beans, but I'm slow to eat. And not because of the food. The food is actually quite good. But the sores in my mouth stop me from eating too fast.
I have to tell you between the sickness itself and everything else going on, I'm just not sure I want to finish this up. Clayton called me back after he had found out that I was going to go into the hospital. He said, "I think I forgot something." I asked, "What was that?" He said, "I love you." I was crying like a baby at that statement. I guess you can't go wrong with that kind of support. Even with my student sitting next to me showing support, it's really hard. I guess I'm supposed to take it one day at a time, but this one really threw me for a loop. Well, before I become a blubbering baby and somebody's fingers become really tired I'm going to sign off for now.
Love, peace, and light.
Scott
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