I hit a small speedbump in my ongoing infusions. First of all, After Infusion 1, We returned home in Big City's horrible traffic and when I went to bed, my stomach felt queasy. I awoke several times during the night feeling nauseous. I had an unpleasant, restless sleep with a churning stomach.
Remarkably, I visited my local drugstore to pick up a prescription refill unrelated to my lymphoma. The clerk reported that they also has a presciption to give me that was ordered by Dr. Hema5 (or is he #6? I've had so many). He ordered it December 2. I asked what it was for and she said it was for nausea. In the famous words of the warden, "What we got here is failure to communicate."
I next reported to the infusion room again for a presumably short infusion of one of the two chemicals I am being administered. It went smoothly at first, and the infusion was done in 15 minutes.
Nurse R has this funny thing she does, "Would you mind hanging out for a few minutes so we can take your vital signs?" Since she hasn't unhooked me from all of the infusion pumps and removed the long, sharp needle, the question is moot; it amounts to, "Sit, Fido, sit!"
When my vitals were taken, I was found to have a fever of 99.5 or so. She said that we'd wait a few minutes and see if it's coming down. After five minutes or so, it was higher, eventually reaching, after several tests, 100.3. While this was quite concerning to the nurses, I actually felt just fine. After several nurse huddles and telephone consultations, after the temperature got to 99.1, I was sent home to test myself and instructed that if the temperature got to 100.4, to report to the Emergency Room!
We got on the road just in time to confront Big City's worst rush hour traffic in the rain! We blazed home at an average speed of 11 mph!
I tested my temperature immediately upon finally reaching home; it was 99.5. Two hours later, it was 97.9.
Today, the next day, I feel fine! I am looking forward to Infusion 3 of Round 1 later this afternoon. Round 2 will start January 6. I suspect that it will go more smoothly since I know what to expect and now have that great nausea prescription!
All in all, despite this speedbump, These treatments are going well, much better than my chemo in 2009.
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Bill..so glad to know that you are doing better than 2009!! Do you know why your temperature raises during infusion?? It sounds to me that the nurses/drs are really monitoring you well during the process...Sylvia is keeping her facebook up to date in a general way...which is good..I think most people are happy to hear the bottom line...that you are doing well after your first round...I am very curious about the actual medical side of what you are enduring on your ride to recovery!!..I won't write every time I read..because I tend to blabber on and on....You and Sylvia are a great Team!!
ReplyDeleteKeep on keeping on, Bill & Sylvia! Sylvia, if you need someone off the bench to watch over Bill, I will start sending you my work schedule so you will know when you can call on me. Love to you both!
ReplyDeleteSo happy that's all it was! Hope it never gets any worse. I'm hoping that you achieve remission again and are fine forever!
ReplyDeleteLove you bunches!
Meemaw