CANCER SUCKS....chapter VIII

5:30 am--I'm awake.  Good, it's only 5:30....I don't need to get up for another 30-45 minutes.......

7:00 am--CRAP.  I have to be at the clinic in one hour.  Quick shower, I'll shave tomorrow, two pieces of toast.

7:30 am--Out the door.  It's cold.  The car is frozen up solid.  My ice scraper won't event cut through the ice on the windshield.

8:05--9:00 am--  Check in, pay the $25 co-pay.  Ricky, the new medical assistant ( he's the third I have had.  The other two, Trevor and Sara have both left to go to nursing school full time) weighs me, takes my blood pressure, temperature and oxygen  level.  Mary, the phlebotomist usually draws blood  for a CBC but since I'm getting a treatment today, Charlotte, my chemo nurse  puts in the IV line and draws blood for the test.  I meet with Dr.Shehadeh.   My blood count is sufficiently high that I can have my treatment today.  Luck y me.

9:00 am--Charlotte hooks me up.  I take two Tylenol and she starts a drip of Benadryl that will help to relax me and will eventually put me to sleep for a while.

9:15 am--Benadryl done.  Now I'm getting a nausea medicine that in effect lasts for a week.  Nausea medicine is a good thing.  BTW, in an effort to get here on time, I left my book at home.  All day, and I don't have a book to read.  Glad I brought the laptop. I'm starting to feel a little drowsy, woozy, etc.  Probably from the Benadryl taking charge.

9:40 am--Charlotte starts the Rituxan.  This is the drug that I have had every time since June.  With this treatment, they increase the dosage, so from  now on, I will get a larger dose each month.  This will take several hours to drip in.

11:20 am-- Took a nap.  Probably slept about 45 minutes.  The Rituxin drip is about 1/4 of the way through.  They gradually increase the drip every 30 minutes for the 1st couple of hours to see how you react to it, so I am at full drip now.

12:30 pm--I'm s little more than 1/2 way through the Rituxan.  I'm enjoying "24" season five as I sit here and "wait."  Jack Bauer is awesome. I'll bet even Jason Bourne wouldn't stand a chance against Jack.  President Logan is EVIL!!  I'm feeling pretty good right now.  I've been extremely fortunate that the side effects from the chemotherapy have been as mild as they have been so far.  I can only hope that it continues in that way and that this is getting the job done.

1:25 pm--The Rituxan is finished.  Now I am getting the Fludarabine, the main drug that is new in this series of treatments.   This is the one that we are hoping, along with the other two will do the trick for me.  I will get Fludarabine all three days this week, along with the Cytoxin.  I only get Rituxan on the first day.

2:00 pm--The Fludarabine is done and I am now getting the Cytoxin and President Logan just begged Jack Bauer to help him find the nerve gas canisters.  I can't stand the suspense.

2:30 pm-- I'm done for today.  Pretty exciting stuff, huh?  Now I get to go home and come back tomorrow at 3:00 for more Fludarabine and Cytoxin.  BTW, Walt Cummings just hung himself.  I can't wait for season 7, but it's been delayed because of the writer's strike.  Don't know when it will start this season.  I've seen a trailer, and Tony Almeida is back and he is a BAD guy!!!!  Sorry if this is too much information for some of you.  I'm going home now.