The First 24

The first 24 hours in the hospital has been interesting.  They are all very nice here.  I'm not used to being in the hospital, so it's weird, but fine.  The doctor offered me a sleeping pill last night, and I refused.  I've been sleeping fine lately.  Apparently that doesn't transfer to a hospital room.  LOL  She asked today if I regretted refusing it, and I admitted that I did.  I'll take one tonight.

The nighttime nurses are sweet and good at what they do.  I call them Nighttime Ninja Nurses.  The NNNs come in, work by only the light coming in from the hallway, and are back out within five minutes.  I barely knew what was going on before they were gone.

My bed has a problem that causes it to lock sometimes.  The buttons won't do ANYTHING.  The day nurse yesterday knew how to fix it, so she showed Kevin.  I didn't pay attention.  Guess how much good it did me?  This morning, a maintenance guy came in and asked about it.  He said that the beds are getting older and need new chips inside.  They've been ordered but aren't here yet.  Then, he took his fist and hit the control panel!  It fixed it right up.  I laughed and told him that I remember fixing our TV that way when I was a kid.  He said, "So do I.  That's what made me try it the first time."

I slept from 9:30ish until 11:30, 12ish until the NNNs came in at 2, and 2:30 until 3:45.  I called Kevin at 4 (he was already on his way to work, making up time that he missed yesterday, poor guy) and then I tried to go back to sleep.  I was finally successful around 5...and then my cell phone alarm went off at 5:30!  What an idiot!  I forgot that I have it set to go off each weekday at 5:30.  It has been turned off now, for sure!

I told a couple of friends, via Skype, that I wish I had some chips and chocolate.  This afternoon, the nurses aid came in carrying a bag with three small bags of chips and 4 kinds of chocolate in it!  It turns out that my friends do not know this delivery person, and neither do I.  It's a friend of a friend who happens to work here and hooked me up.  It's not who you know, it's who is known by whom you know.  Or something like that.

I've found that some of the food is quite good, and some is not great.  Most of it has been edible, though.  Except the tomato soup.  Ick.  Still, it's overall better than most people describe hospital food, so I'll not complain.  I can't imagine feeding this many people.  Plus, I'm a lot less picky than most.

At one point today, two doctors came in with two shadows.  Students, maybe?  Anyway, as the oncologist was telling me that my white cells had dropped again overnight (I know, I know.  *sigh*) and I'd be here at least through tomorrow, and possibly Friday, she said, "The good news is, you've been afebrile for 24 hours."  My hearing isn't great.  I hear things wrong a LOT.  What I *heard* is, "You've been senile for 24 hours."  Before I could process that enough to be offended, she added, "So as long as the fever doesn't come back..."  That's when I realized what she had said.  PHEW!

My final story is about how I'm introduced as shifts change.  Each nurse is telling the incoming nurse that I'm an ideal patient, or the best patient on the floor, etc, and that I never ring my call button.  That's true, I haven't needed to.  However, do you know what kind of pressure that puts on me?  Holy moly!  What if I need something?  I'll damage my reputation!  LOL   Yes.  I'll push the button if I need something, but I'm ambulatory, so there isn't much that I could need that I cannot get for myself.

Chemo, Round Two

This time, I remembered to jot down the names of everything they give me in that IV.  I know they switch things out a lot, and I was mad at myself for not taking notes the first time.  I'll share what they are, but first I have to give a shout-out to my girls.

I went by myself this time, armed with computer, books, etc to occupy my time.  I fired up the computer, and within five minutes, Monica was sending a Skype request.  I accepted, and then laughed the remainder of my time there.  She started out by dancing for me.  She turned on music and just went to town, dancing and dancing longer than you can imagine.  The nurse got a big kick out of it, too.

Soon, Natalie joined her and they both danced.  We chatted and made bad jokes and laughed.  Monica even played her guitar and sang for me!  At one point, the nurse called another nurse to come watch.  They both laughed with us.  Later, she told me that she's been doing this for 23 years, and has never been serenaded before.  It really made the time fly by!

Now, back to all the IV bag swapping!  Here is the stuff that I currently get, every other Wednesday.  Bags 3, 5, and 7 are the same bag, they just switch to it between other stuff.  All of it goes through my port access, but the Adriamycin has to be done via syringe (slowly) and watched.  It's some bad-ass stuff.  Fun fact:  Makes me pee red, too.  TMI?  Sorry.  Too late.  Here goes:


Bag 1
Dexamethasone - Steroid
Famotidine -Nausea
Palonosetron - Nausea

Bag 2
Emend - Nausea

Bag 3
Saline

Bag 4
Adriamycin via syringe (2) - Chemo

Bag 5
Saline

Bag 6
Cytoxan - Chemo

Bag 7
Saline

Tests, Tests, and More Tests

OK, back to the cancer chronicles.  I have the PET scan on Monday.  I have to leave home by 6, since I must check in at 7:30.  sheesh.  It's supposed to be a day off!  Tuesday is the Echo, and I have to be there at 8.  Fine.  Whatever.  I'll drive to the hospital three days in a row.  LOL  St Luke's on the Plaza on Monday and  Tuesday, St. Luke's South on Wednesday for the surgery.

Several people have asked if they could come see me in the hospital.  Not only am I a private type person who might feel weird about that, I'm only going to be there for one night.  No need, folks.  Hit me up via text, skype, Facebook, email, etc etc.  I'll answer.

Tomorrow, several friends are going with me to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  It's the official "Here, do my job for a few weeks" party.  Sorry, guys.