I just received my last round of chemo this morning and we'll be getting discharged in the next few hours.
I haven't felt the chemo at all, it's been the other meds that have been messing with my system. They've adjusted those though so I feel pretty comfortable with the pills I'm heading home with.
Sounds like I'm going to need to stay away from crowds and sick people for a few weeks starting now but the real effects from the chemo shouldn't start kicking in for another 7-10 days.
I also finally got the clearing to drive a car this morning so I'm pretty excited about that. We've been trying to set up a meeting with my neurologist all week but apparently the message never got passed along. He was able to give the okay to drive over the phone but wasn't willing to take me off the anti-seizure medicines until I see him in person which won't be until May 28, unfortunately.
I hear it's supposed to be pretty nice outside. I can see IUPUI students (go JAGS!) walking around in shorts and t-shirts so I'm looking forward to getting out and getting home.
Eric
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Spinal Tap
Hello!
It's Wednesday morning, and we're halfway through this round of chemo. So far, Eric has tolerated the chemo pretty well, but the anti-nausea medicine threw him for a loop yesterday. Apparently, the common anti-nausea medicine that they give chemo patients can sometimes cause severe headaches. So they switched his meds around a bit and gave him a cocktail of benadryl and compazine. It worked wonders on the headache, but also knocked him out for 4 straight hours. :) Apparently, IU has done studies in the past on the best way to treat headaches in the ER, and stumbled upon this cocktail. It was kind of interesting. Just to be on the safe side, the doctors ordered an MRI yesterday. This is to eliminate some of the scarier causes of headaches. They don't expect to find anything, though.
After he got back from the MRI, we watched Sherlock Holmes and did a few laps around the cancer floor. Apparently, we had to get a doctors order to leave the floor, which we got this morning. So as long as he's feeling up to it, we can venture out to the rest of the hospital and step outside a bit to get some fresh air. His chemo is ordered for 1 pm today, and he'll get his spinal tap chemo sometime between now and then.
Until later,
Melissa
It's Wednesday morning, and we're halfway through this round of chemo. So far, Eric has tolerated the chemo pretty well, but the anti-nausea medicine threw him for a loop yesterday. Apparently, the common anti-nausea medicine that they give chemo patients can sometimes cause severe headaches. So they switched his meds around a bit and gave him a cocktail of benadryl and compazine. It worked wonders on the headache, but also knocked him out for 4 straight hours. :) Apparently, IU has done studies in the past on the best way to treat headaches in the ER, and stumbled upon this cocktail. It was kind of interesting. Just to be on the safe side, the doctors ordered an MRI yesterday. This is to eliminate some of the scarier causes of headaches. They don't expect to find anything, though.
After he got back from the MRI, we watched Sherlock Holmes and did a few laps around the cancer floor. Apparently, we had to get a doctors order to leave the floor, which we got this morning. So as long as he's feeling up to it, we can venture out to the rest of the hospital and step outside a bit to get some fresh air. His chemo is ordered for 1 pm today, and he'll get his spinal tap chemo sometime between now and then.
Until later,
Melissa
Monday, March 29, 2010
Checked in and Ready to Go!
Hi Everyone!
It seems like a long time since I last wrote a post to this blog. Eric and I had a nice trip down to Indy this morning. We started off with getting his blood checked (everything looks good!) and speaking with the hematologist. We had A LOT of our questions answered and feel pretty good about this next step of the treatment. Eric will be getting the same chemo he did back in December (which is good because we know it is effective), but it will be a smaller dose. And though they expect the white blood cells to bottom out again, it should take a shorter time for the bone marrow to recover. This is because he is starting out with healthy bone marrow. Also, the pharmacist said that his body is more used to receiving the chemo, so this should help with the overall recovery time and help decrease the intensity of some of the side effects, like mouth sores. We also got a few answers to the frequency of treatments. They expect him to be fully recovered from this round in about 4 weeks, meaning that he should feel about like he does now. At that point, he will have his normal 1 month check-up with the hematologist, where they will check him in for a repeat performance. This should be the last time he will have to get the IV chemo. He will be getting the spinal tap chemo both now, and when he is checked in one month from now. This is delivered in one dose each time. In between, he'll be taking ATRA for about 2 weeks. After all of that is complete, he'll have intermittent ATRA treatment, and may have some more chemo delivered through a pill, but no one is really sure about that. Our normal hematologist is on Spring Break, so we were discussing these future plans with someone else. They said that the highest chance of relapse is within the first two years, so they will check him out every month for the first year, and then every other month the second year. After 5 years of being in remission, they will consider him cured. : ) All in all, it sounds like all the drama (doctor's word) typically happens with the induction chemo that we've already been through, and that people tend to handle these next two rounds pretty well. Once we get discharged at the end of the week, they'll check his blood twice a week to monitor his blood counts (and make sure he doesn't need any transfusions), which can happen up in Lafayette. He'll have to be very careful to avoid sick people and big crowds, but he'll be able to go through the recovery time at home. Obviously, we need to call if he gets a fever, but they'll be giving him prophylactic antibiotics and antifungals like they did the first time. This time through, he does not have all the catheters and ventilation tubes, which will be huge in reducing the chance of infection.
Also, we found out they are taking him off of the blood thinners!! They are not even concerned with checking on the blood clot, since there are no symptoms of it. Also, we should be getting a visit from the Neuro team, to discuss whether he still needs to be on the anti-seizure medicines and when he can drive. It'll be GREAT to get him off some of his drugs. It was starting to look like we were conducting a drug ring from our living room. ;)
Finally, the rooms on the hematology floor are GREAT!! They are MUCH more comfortable than the ICU. Not only do we have less equipment in the room (SO nice not to need it), but we have a flat screen, DVD player, AND a mini fridge! No need to worry about finding a hotel room in Indy during the final four, just stay in our room! ;) They also have a couch that is wide enough for a bed when you take the back cushions off. Very nice.
I think that is all for now. They just started his first dose of chemo. Here we go!
Love,
Melissa
P.S. Eric's weight is now up to 208 lbs, which is a MUCH better weight than the 160-some pounds he was the last time he stayed at IU.
It seems like a long time since I last wrote a post to this blog. Eric and I had a nice trip down to Indy this morning. We started off with getting his blood checked (everything looks good!) and speaking with the hematologist. We had A LOT of our questions answered and feel pretty good about this next step of the treatment. Eric will be getting the same chemo he did back in December (which is good because we know it is effective), but it will be a smaller dose. And though they expect the white blood cells to bottom out again, it should take a shorter time for the bone marrow to recover. This is because he is starting out with healthy bone marrow. Also, the pharmacist said that his body is more used to receiving the chemo, so this should help with the overall recovery time and help decrease the intensity of some of the side effects, like mouth sores. We also got a few answers to the frequency of treatments. They expect him to be fully recovered from this round in about 4 weeks, meaning that he should feel about like he does now. At that point, he will have his normal 1 month check-up with the hematologist, where they will check him in for a repeat performance. This should be the last time he will have to get the IV chemo. He will be getting the spinal tap chemo both now, and when he is checked in one month from now. This is delivered in one dose each time. In between, he'll be taking ATRA for about 2 weeks. After all of that is complete, he'll have intermittent ATRA treatment, and may have some more chemo delivered through a pill, but no one is really sure about that. Our normal hematologist is on Spring Break, so we were discussing these future plans with someone else. They said that the highest chance of relapse is within the first two years, so they will check him out every month for the first year, and then every other month the second year. After 5 years of being in remission, they will consider him cured. : ) All in all, it sounds like all the drama (doctor's word) typically happens with the induction chemo that we've already been through, and that people tend to handle these next two rounds pretty well. Once we get discharged at the end of the week, they'll check his blood twice a week to monitor his blood counts (and make sure he doesn't need any transfusions), which can happen up in Lafayette. He'll have to be very careful to avoid sick people and big crowds, but he'll be able to go through the recovery time at home. Obviously, we need to call if he gets a fever, but they'll be giving him prophylactic antibiotics and antifungals like they did the first time. This time through, he does not have all the catheters and ventilation tubes, which will be huge in reducing the chance of infection.
Also, we found out they are taking him off of the blood thinners!! They are not even concerned with checking on the blood clot, since there are no symptoms of it. Also, we should be getting a visit from the Neuro team, to discuss whether he still needs to be on the anti-seizure medicines and when he can drive. It'll be GREAT to get him off some of his drugs. It was starting to look like we were conducting a drug ring from our living room. ;)
Finally, the rooms on the hematology floor are GREAT!! They are MUCH more comfortable than the ICU. Not only do we have less equipment in the room (SO nice not to need it), but we have a flat screen, DVD player, AND a mini fridge! No need to worry about finding a hotel room in Indy during the final four, just stay in our room! ;) They also have a couch that is wide enough for a bed when you take the back cushions off. Very nice.
I think that is all for now. They just started his first dose of chemo. Here we go!
Love,
Melissa
P.S. Eric's weight is now up to 208 lbs, which is a MUCH better weight than the 160-some pounds he was the last time he stayed at IU.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Back to the IU Hospital
Melissa and I are heading back down to Indy tomorrow morning for more chemo. This round should go significantly smoother than the last. Melissa spoke with a Dr. Cripe's nurse this week and got some details. Due to my blood thinners, I will not be receiving chemo through a central line in my chest. Instead, they will be putting it through an IV which will only be hooked up for a little bit each day while they are giving me some of the most expensive posion known to man. In addition, I will still be receiving more chemo into my spinal fluid.
This weekend was a lot of fun, friends were in town from Thursday through today around lunchtime and my mom and dad came over for dinner. We played with the two dogs and one baby that were in town, did a little car shopping for Melissa (Joel, I liked your idea; unfortunately Melissa rejected the idea of me getting an S4 and her getting the TDi - she also rejected on the R8 in the showroom), grilled out and watched plenty of movies and basketball games.
I ditched the crutches this weekend and worked on walking without them. By the end of the weekend I was able to walk without swaying around, much, and am able to go up and down stairs without any crutches and without having to go one step at a time, although I'm still tugging on the railing pretty hard.
Eric
This weekend was a lot of fun, friends were in town from Thursday through today around lunchtime and my mom and dad came over for dinner. We played with the two dogs and one baby that were in town, did a little car shopping for Melissa (Joel, I liked your idea; unfortunately Melissa rejected the idea of me getting an S4 and her getting the TDi - she also rejected on the R8 in the showroom), grilled out and watched plenty of movies and basketball games.
I ditched the crutches this weekend and worked on walking without them. By the end of the weekend I was able to walk without swaying around, much, and am able to go up and down stairs without any crutches and without having to go one step at a time, although I'm still tugging on the railing pretty hard.
Eric
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