Code Red!

Another eventful day at Vanderbilt...several firsts. We left the house around 8am. Our first stop was at a car wash. We drove through and then were on our way to Nashville. We went the back road for the first time in a while...so much prettier than the interstate! We got to Vanderbilt about a half-hour before Woody's first appointment. He got signed in at the first desk and had been called to the registration desk and had filled out his registration papers. Before he got called back for labs lights and sounds and an announcement over the speakers declared a "code red." We all (all in the waiting room) just sat not knowing just exactly what was happening and/or what we were supposed to do or not do! A lady came to the center of the room and told us not to panic, but to get up and file outside. The announcement said that there was a code red located in the basement...never heard exactly what had happened or what this was all about. But we sat or stood outside for a while and then we were told that we could go back inside. So that was a first...being evacuated at Vanderbilt. I had various codes called out over the intercoms. After we got back in, it wasn't long till Woody was called in for his labwork. Then it was on to Dr. Sosman's waiting area. And, we didn't have to wait very long there till he was called back to a room. Before Dr. Sosman came in, a pharmacist came in to talk to Woody about his meds and to talk about Keytruda and ask about side effects, etc. Another first...to talk to a pharmacist. Then Dr. Sosman came in with a medical student. Lots of questions were asked and lots were answered. We talked about how tired Woody gets when he uses upper body strength. We asked specifically if it could be due to the fact that Woody has a low red blood count...but upon looking at past labs way back...that count has always been in about the same low range. So it is felt that this tiredness was a side effect of the Keytruda. Several other possible side effects were discussed. The pharmacist and Dr. Sosman pretty much came to the same conclusion...as long as the side effects were something that he can put up with then continue...and that when they become too much for Woody then they will stop the Keytruda. At this point Woody says that at this point he can definitely put up with the side effects that he may be having. The labs took an extremely long time to be posted today...way after we saw Dr. Sosman. I headed off to make future appointments and Woody went up to get signed in for his infusion appointment. It took forever to get all the appointments made...a bit of a confusion as at first they were made two weeks apart...so the process had to be started all over again. But in the end we did manage to get an appointment made for his next PET scan and then for the next four lab/Dr. Sosman/infusion appointments...so all total 13 new appointments. He now has appointments all the way into July. Since it took so long to get the appointments made, I was sure that Woody would already be settled into his infusion room...but NO! And, we waited and waited and waited in that waiting room. He didn't get called into a room till an hour after his appointment time. We "think" that it was because it took so long for his labs to be posted. I kept checking the My Vanderbilt Health site to see if they had been posted and it wasn't long after they got posted that he was called back and put in a room...finally! It took a good 2 1/2 hours if not 3 hours for the labs to be posted. The infusion folk have to check his lab work before "things" can proceed. Once he gets in the infusion chair is when they usually order the Keytruda and then it takes at least 1/2 hour for it be brought to his room...but today it must have already been ordered as it wasn't long at all till he was hooked up...we were in the infusion room for less than an hour...perhaps a record...of course that record hardly counts since we sat so long in their waiting room! We had our car and were heading home a little after 3pm. We stopped for our "treat" for a long Vandy day at Steak and Shake. I got to use a coupon that friends gave me for my birthday...tried a hamburger that I hadn't tried before. Woody had his usual single hamburger and a shake...this time their banana shake made with real bananas...pretty good treats for the long day. We pulled into our driveway at 5:40pm...so a pretty long day...almost 10 hours away from home. I am heading to my chair as I developed a stiff neck over the time away...I noticed it a little on our way to Vandy...but by the infusion time I was glad that I had a reclining chair in Woody's room...and, now look forward to settling into my chair with the heating pad. It's good to be home...again! Oh, and sorry that this couldn't have been a "code green" (of course, I don't know what a code green might be...so perhaps good that it wasn't!) to go along with wearing of the green today...Happy Saint Patrick's Day!