Chemo, week 2
| Hair Situation | No changes |
| Weight | Down 7 from normal |
| Symptoms | A little dizzy. Appetite and energy level low. |
Wednesday, 3/5/03: My second chemo was yesterday. I got there at 9:30 so the nurse in the infusion center could take a blood sample (through the PICC line - hurray!). My blood counts look good, and everyone was pleased to note that the lymph node in my neck is no longer swollen, and the two behind my collarbone are getting smaller. My Mardi Gras beads amused everyone, but I eventually took them off because they were a real nuisance whenever the doctors played “poke Jill in the neck”.
This week is an “easy” chemo week, meaning only two drugs and minimal side effects. I’d thought that the PICC line meant I’d never have another needle, but the nurse needed to inject me with a small amount of one of the drugs to check for allergies before administering the whole dose. So I fainted. That’ll teach her!
In fact, it was pretty dramatic. My dad and Audrey were with me when the nurse did the injection. I got very dizzy and yelled (at least I think I yelled), “I don’t feel good!”. I also cleverly lay down over the button the nurse would ordinarily use to summon the other nurses, so she had to yell for help. When I came to (only a second or two later), my dad and Audrey were several feet away, replaced by nurses. How did they get there so fast?
After the excitement of being tipped basically upside down to get the blood back into my head, the chemo itself was uneventful. Six minutes, start to finish (compare that to the hour and a half last week!). Although this week’s drugs can lead to fever and chills, I didn’t have any side effects last night. Let’s hope all the even weeks are this easy!
Friday, 3/7/03: Not much to report. This week really does seem easy. I’ve spent most of my time folding origami and preparing for Emmy’s second birthday party tomorrow. Last night, we even went out to dinner. OK, it was In-n-Out Burgers, not the Ritz-Carlton, but at least it was a change of scene.
Monday, 3/10/03: ARGH! My right arm was really numb last night, and the elbow hurts like crazy (kept me up at night). Sheila’s advice is to use the computer less! How will I do this???? So far, I’m using my left hand for all mousing, and soon I’ll go read a book.
(Later that same day) Well, my arm didn’t feel any better by lunchtime, so I went to Stanford to see a PICC nurse. She took a look, and said it’s one of three things: (1) I’m just healing slowly, not surprising given that my white blood cells are under attack, (2) the vein with the PICC line is close to a nerve, and that makes it hurt, or (3) the vein is thrombosing (doctor-speak for getting a blood clot). If it’s option 1, then I should be feeling better by the end of the week, provided I keep my arm warm and drink lots of fluids. She suggested that I ask Dr. Horning to order an ultrasound of the arm to rule out options 2 and 3. If it is either 2 or 3, I may need to have the PICC line removed and a different kind of port inserted. That would be a major bummer, so I’m wearing two sweatshirts, drinking like a fish, and hoping for the best.
In other news, it’s a beautiful day, but I have mixed feelings about opening the windows because our neighbors are putting an addition onto their house. The hammer noises aren’t so bad, but the carpenter who thinks he’s David Bowie shouldn’t quit his day job.