I’m up just before 6am and get my room tidied up, bed made etc., and shortly thereafter a nurse arrived to start my IV. Initially with just saline solution and later around 10:30 with some Benadryl. Now, at, 11:30 with the the chemo therapy choix du jour, Bendaustine.
Yesterday, I was worried about boredom, and I suspect that will come, but today it’s been quite busy so far.
- Start the IV and take some anti-nausea medication.
- Full set of vital stats, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, listen to my chest, listen to my heart (checking for rhythm ), mouth check (for sores)
- I’m weighed on a scale that is wheeled into my room
- I walk some hall laps (2x) and meet one of my fellow “residents”. He is my competition for the most number of hallway laps in a day. Its game on!
- The bathroom is cleaned and garbage emptied.
- Normal medications are delivered.
- An EKG is performed
- All of my electrical cords (chargers, extension cord, and CPAP power cord) are inspected and approved by the maintenance department.
- Actual physical mail gets delivered (thanks!)
- Multiple texts from well wishers (thanks very much!)
- Some pre-chemotherapy medications (pills) to prevent negative reactions to the chemotherapy are delivered and consumed
- The chemotherapy medication is added to the IV pump
- The nurse pops into the room quite frequently just to see if I’m doing OK
All this before noon!
