19 September 2023
Another 3:30 am wake up. It’s not as bad as it sounds since I went to bed at 9:30. pm and got 6 hours of sleep. Actually, I only got up to pee and realized I had not taken my anti-nausea medicine (Dexamethasone) and figured better late than never. I also decided to dose myself with 2 Lomotil while I was at it. Today is Taxol only (unless the magnesium is low again) and I assume they’ll pump saline into me to hydrate as well.
Yesterday I got my new Covid booster at Walgreens. I was talking to the pharmacist and he said he was concerned he would run out. They had been allotted 60 doses and it looks like that will be gone by the end of the week. At least people are taking it seriously and getting boosted even though Florida’s Surgeon General is telling people not to get it unless you are old.
A friend flew to New York this past week to attend a former student’s art opening at a gallery. What a phenomenal thing for the student! His work in an art gallery opening in NYC! Catherine wanted to be there to support. Sadly, she came down with Covid after the event and later developed pneumonia. She’s now in New York University’s Langone Health. Everyone who knows the area, including U.S. News and World Report consider it one of the best hospitals in the nation. Hopefully, she’ll be home later this week.
The reason I mention this is that Holy Cross told me months ago that they are seeing a serious outbreak in Broward County and that the nurses are extremely concerned. When I was hospitalized and had a false positive, they put me on the Covid floor. Later when it came back as two negatives, the nurse said “We’ve got to get you off this floor before you get Covid.”
Also interesting is the cancer center where I get my infusions requires masks. If you walk up to the front desk and don’t have one, they hand you one. Yet people in the waiting room continue to not wear masks. I don’t think they realize the rule is not for them but for the people undergoing chemo. Because of chemo, our immune system is compromised and any little infection, much less Covid, could be a real problem for us. Then there are those that wear the mask over the mouth but not the nose. Duh!
I boxed up my old iPad and sent it off for a refund. What caused concern was both the new iPad and old iPad seemed to have the same name and when I went to remove the old iPad from the system, I also removed the new iPad. That reset the new iPad over again when I turned it on. I couldn’t merge the old with the new since the old was on its way to be “refreshed” and resold. Fortunately, everything was backed up on iCloud and I could manually re-install everything, albeit with a lot of time required.
I then had a person-to-person session with Megan at Apple who walked me through some features of iCloud, Photos, and the camera. A lot of what she covered I knew but I learned several new features on the new iPad that I figure I’ll be using. She also sent me a list of beneficial links about the new iPad. I’ll probably take advantage of that during today’s infusion.
5:46 am
Just had a bout of diarrhea. I still felt pretty good so I decided to go for my morning walk.
6:45 am
Finished my 1.5 mile walk. Venus was pretty obvious in the eastern sky.
Venus always reminds me of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar.” He’s talking about his death but I love the phrase “Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me.” Venus, of course, is known as the morning “star” and evening “star.” For years I thought it was two different “stars” and apparently it fooled early astronomers. In my defense, I was a kid at the time. They had no excuse.
I was pretty done in by the walk and as I met my neighbor Mary Kay on my return, I noticed I was very dizzy. Well, dizzier than I abnormally am. I had my grapefruit half and second cup of coffee and then packed lunch for the infusion.
The infusion center took me back at 9:30 and Casey is my nurse today. I’ve met her before and she’s very nice. I left the ladies (and gentleman) at the check-in desk some Tootsie Roll miniatures. They were very appreciative.
9:45 am
Casey has started the saline IV and magnesium IV and has drawn a blood sample for labs. I should have them back within 30 or 40 minutes if past practice is any indication.
10:01 am
The CBC with Auto Differential is reported (that was fast!).
My white blood cell count is good so I won’t be coming in for the three injections to boost my white blood cells. The red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit are low. Neutrophils relative are high, lymphocytes relative are low, lymphocytes absolute are low and neutrophils absolute are high.
10:25 am
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is reported.
Sodium levels were low and glucose was high (217). Total protein was low. Magnesium, as usual, was low (1.4 with normal 1.9-2.7).
The dietician came by again and I asked about the Metamucil. She said it was a good idea. It’s a soluble fiber and it becomes a gel in the intestine and helps with diarrhea. Under certain conditions, Metamucil is a laxative but in my case, she said it would help. I’ll start with a dose every morning and she suggested I work up to two doses a day. I also told her I made her magic broth. She suggested mixing it with rice and that sounds appealing. I’ll try that tonight.
11:47 am
The magnesium finished. Casey administered a full bag which hasn’t been done lately. Apparently, I was supposed to be getting the full bag all along but Casey caught the error. She administered the pre-cocktail of the usual: Benadryl, Zorfram, Dexamthasone, and Pepsid. Again, the IV Benadryl knocks me for a pleasant loop.
11:50 am
Started the Taxol. It’ll run from approximately 1 hour so I may bet out of here around 1 or 1:30. They don’t seem to be too busy today.
1:00 pm
Done! That’s the fastest I’ve been discharged from the infusion center – 3 1/2 hours. Casey ramped up the saline to 999 ml/hour (that was only a little left) and the Taxol finished in a little under an hour. I hope they can keep the pace. I’ve shown no adverse reaction (other than diarrhea) to the two medications so they speed them up.
I sent Catherine at Langone Health a photo of me showing my port.
She sent back a photo of her IV pole.
I conceded the contest. Her IV pole has an extension! She has two monitors dispensing doses. I’d hate to be the nurse who has to regulate this.
When I got home, I immediately went to bed for a nap. The Benadryl really made me sleepy. I waked with a new set of A/C filters at the front door and a tote from the New Yorker. Just what I need – another tote. The back of the jeep is stuffed with them. I didn’t realize when I subscribed to the ezine that it included a tote. It does have a classy look. And I guess I can always use it. Some of the ones I have are getting old and I expect them to rip any time now.
By my reckoning, the rest of the day should be good and tomorrow as well. Wednesday and Thursday may be a different story and then Friday I have a hydration infusion and I’ll be bouncing off the walls, turn into a whirling dervish, and go on a cleaning binge. That’ll last until Sunday and then Monday I’ll be needing the saline with the chemo treatment.
Stay tuned!