Hey everyone, I apologize for not writing more but the last couple weeks and treatments have kicked my BUTT!
I went to HCI (Huntsman Cancer Institute) for round 2..treatment A on Sept 17th. I was there until Friday pretty much of the same except the side effect that I brought home with me was the itchy, peeling skin.....ARGHHH. I am going to scratch myself crazy. I have tried every fancy lotion they gave me at the hospital, every home remedy and nothing helps. The week following the treatment nothing tasted good, sounded good or looked good. If my kids were not counting on me driving them to school, I probably would have stayed in bed all day. That week on top of the itchy skin, the nausea came too. The crappy thing about this is, just when I start to feel good....I have to go back in.
All of my family members say that if you want a cheap comical experience, you should come see me at the hospital. The only days that I really remember are Mondays. The rest of the days are all a blur. P.S.....don't let your sister-in-law (no matter how much you love her) let her talk you into buying ebooks on your tablet. TRUST ME, your checking account will thank you later. LOL!
Round 2B was set for Sept 30. When I checked in and talked to Joan (the head honcho) at HCI she was ECSTATIC about the side effects that I had been experiencing. To her that showed that the treatment was working, and that in Melanoma patients itchy skin is a good thing. She also noticed a couple "halo's" (told you I was an angel ;) which means that around some of the moles on my arms and my back there are "rings" meaning that the IL2 is affecting them also. I have also started to loose the freckles on my face.
IDIOT TEST
Every morning the nurse gives me what we lovingly call "the idiot test" which basically lets them know how and if your brain is functioning. There are simple questions like: what is the date today, what I am I holding in my hand, repeat the phrase "no if ands or buts". Then they get harder: How many nickles in $1.25, what is the total of 93 and 17 etc. Then they give you a connect the dots sheet...only the dots don't "create" anything. They next page is you connect the dots to the numerical and alphabetical 1-A, 2-B etc.
Most days I fly through the test....but this week, I failed it three times on Wednesday. At that point they decided not to give me any more doses because they were afraid that I would/could go into a comma. So this week I only got 3 doses instead of the average 7.
Good thing this week....I figured out a way to keep my "blood pressure cuff" arm from crusting over....I cut a sock off and put it underneath, so much better this week. Now if I can just figure out a way to stop the pain from the dilator when they insert the PICC line, I could be rich.
I love the nurses at HCI, they are so nice and make the experience not so dreadful. Some talk to me about being a red-neck and wanting to own a pig, and treat me like I am high maintenance every time I push the call button LOL! Others are just nice Eye-candy (married) Autumn-laughs at me every time she injects the benadryl because she thinks it is funny that I can taste it and it makes me cough. Chad because he knows that his sister told me I could beat him up if he was not nice to me. Everyone knows my name, and they are always glad I came.....wait isn't that a theme song to a TV show?
Seriously that is how I feel.
I don't always remember who came to sit with me or who came to see me, but I really appreciate everyone who has taken time out of their day, or taken the day off of work to help me or my family and hopefully in the process you get a little comic relief!
I go back in for scans October 26th, and if everything is doing what it should round 3 starts November 5th. So until then....everyone get a little R&R.
Love ya!
I went to HCI (Huntsman Cancer Institute) for round 2..treatment A on Sept 17th. I was there until Friday pretty much of the same except the side effect that I brought home with me was the itchy, peeling skin.....ARGHHH. I am going to scratch myself crazy. I have tried every fancy lotion they gave me at the hospital, every home remedy and nothing helps. The week following the treatment nothing tasted good, sounded good or looked good. If my kids were not counting on me driving them to school, I probably would have stayed in bed all day. That week on top of the itchy skin, the nausea came too. The crappy thing about this is, just when I start to feel good....I have to go back in.
All of my family members say that if you want a cheap comical experience, you should come see me at the hospital. The only days that I really remember are Mondays. The rest of the days are all a blur. P.S.....don't let your sister-in-law (no matter how much you love her) let her talk you into buying ebooks on your tablet. TRUST ME, your checking account will thank you later. LOL!
Round 2B was set for Sept 30. When I checked in and talked to Joan (the head honcho) at HCI she was ECSTATIC about the side effects that I had been experiencing. To her that showed that the treatment was working, and that in Melanoma patients itchy skin is a good thing. She also noticed a couple "halo's" (told you I was an angel ;) which means that around some of the moles on my arms and my back there are "rings" meaning that the IL2 is affecting them also. I have also started to loose the freckles on my face.
IDIOT TEST
Every morning the nurse gives me what we lovingly call "the idiot test" which basically lets them know how and if your brain is functioning. There are simple questions like: what is the date today, what I am I holding in my hand, repeat the phrase "no if ands or buts". Then they get harder: How many nickles in $1.25, what is the total of 93 and 17 etc. Then they give you a connect the dots sheet...only the dots don't "create" anything. They next page is you connect the dots to the numerical and alphabetical 1-A, 2-B etc.
Most days I fly through the test....but this week, I failed it three times on Wednesday. At that point they decided not to give me any more doses because they were afraid that I would/could go into a comma. So this week I only got 3 doses instead of the average 7.
Good thing this week....I figured out a way to keep my "blood pressure cuff" arm from crusting over....I cut a sock off and put it underneath, so much better this week. Now if I can just figure out a way to stop the pain from the dilator when they insert the PICC line, I could be rich.
I love the nurses at HCI, they are so nice and make the experience not so dreadful. Some talk to me about being a red-neck and wanting to own a pig, and treat me like I am high maintenance every time I push the call button LOL! Others are just nice Eye-candy (married) Autumn-laughs at me every time she injects the benadryl because she thinks it is funny that I can taste it and it makes me cough. Chad because he knows that his sister told me I could beat him up if he was not nice to me. Everyone knows my name, and they are always glad I came.....wait isn't that a theme song to a TV show?
Seriously that is how I feel.
I don't always remember who came to sit with me or who came to see me, but I really appreciate everyone who has taken time out of their day, or taken the day off of work to help me or my family and hopefully in the process you get a little comic relief!
I go back in for scans October 26th, and if everything is doing what it should round 3 starts November 5th. So until then....everyone get a little R&R.
Love ya!
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