Chemo #2

Today was Fred’s second chemo and it didn’t go as nicely as the first one two weeks ago.

Dr. Janis gave him the same amount of chemo as last time because his white blood count had gone down. Then, just as I came to pick him up (and get his chemo and blood report) he began to have the shakes very violently. I was able to help him back into the party room to a chair before it became worse. They think it was a reaction to maybe the Avastin, but it’s not a common side effect.

The doctor on call (Dr. Janis was in a meeting) referred to it at one point as spasticity. They took out his 46-hour drip take-home drug and gave him Benedryl and then some Ativan in drip bags in his port. It took over 30 minutes for the attack to pass and it scared the heck out of poor Fred. Needless to say, I was pretty freaked out! Our friend Macario has had some troubles with violent shaking from chills and I asked Fred how he felt, but he didn’t feel cold. He had a fever of 100.3, which went up to 101.4 when the attack or whatever was over but dropped down again to 100 before we left. His blood pressure was high, but we waited for it to go down to high/normal. He had a Boost shake and a small bottle of water while we were waiting and he started feeling a lot better. They put the last chemo take-home drug back in and we sat there for a while until we knew he was past it and then his color came back. Blech.

We’re at home now. He ate a devilled egg sandwich and a lot of fruit while he willed his own blood pressure and heart rate to come down. It was remarkable. He loves his blood pressure cuff.

Well, you ask, why wasn’t I hanging out with Fred in the party room today? Because Michele and her city dang near killed me. On the drive home I came down with a cold. We all obsessively washed our hands and Purelled from head to toe the entire time we were there. But I was no match for the germs…Was it the Starons? Was it the in-laws? Was it the pool? Was it the cigarette smoke? Was it the vast quantities of alcohol I consumed? Was it the lack of sleep (except that first night)? Was it the walking up and down Las Vegas Boulevard looking at those illegal aliens flick, flick, flicking naked lady cards at us? Was it my fake line dancing? There’s no telling. But I will feel better in the morning, you’ll see. But I’m sportin’ a surgical mask until my smoker’s cough goes away.

I’m going to bed (not with Fred) and I will tell you children all about our big time in Lost Wages another day. It was epic and I have pictures.  We see Dr. Janis at 11 am tomorrow morning and we'll find out what he has to say.

Here's VERY good news:  Cousin Steve is driving up to go with us to Norris USC on Thursday.  Fred and I are so thrilled about that.  What a wonderful thing for him to do.  He and Fred talked on the phone on our way home from Vegas last night and Steve told Fred that he'd already blocked all of Thursday off because he didn't know what time the appointment was.  It was the first time Fred had talked to Steve since his diagnosis and he was so glad he did.  Steve knows the head of radiography or some kind of big guy up there are we're going to talk to him as well.  Very good news.