Another long day...the alarm went off at 5am and Woody was already up. We left the house at 5:30am and arrived at Vanderbilt Clinic around 7:15am...we made very good time despite conditions--rainy and dark. The first appointment was at 7:40am for lab work. He was called in and was out before 7:40! But...it took longer than usual as they didn't have the correct drug study vials. They started taking blood and realized that they were putting it in vials for the lab work the hour after Woody takes the chemo drugs. So they had to call around to get the correct vials. So they had to stick him again! Even with that confusion he was out before his scheduled time. It was a busy morning for drug studies for Dr. Sosman as there were four of his patients there at the same time. I think that we got there first as we got into a room first. Woody's blood platelet count had risen even higher today...so he was good-to-go to start cycle 4. We saw Dr. Sosman briefly and Woody answered questions and filled out paper work for the drug study and then it was time to go back to the waiting room for more waiting...but before we got out of the room Dr. Sosman stuck his head back in the room and asked Woody about his Zometa treatments (bone strengthening treatment for cancer patients). We told him that Woody hadn't had a treatment since his first one which was prior to his IL-2 treatments back in February. So...Dr. Sosman told the nurse to set up a treatment for Woody...today! And, after Dr. Sosman left the research nurse told Woody that the lab hadn't used the correct vials and that he would need to go back to the lab for his initial blood draw AGAIN!!!!!!!! So, if you are counting...that is three sticks so far! He went back for the lab work...then the research nurse took us to the Cancer infusion offices. Woody filled out the needed paper work and signed consent forms, etc. He was called back quickly there. Before the Zometa got started, Woody's chemo drugs arrived and he took those while hooked up but still waiting for the Zometa infusion. Then, it was watch the clock time...Zometa infusion doesn't take long...about 15 min. but it had to get to Woody from the pharmacy. And, Woody was to have blood drawn at noon for the follow up lab work after taking his chemo meds. And, it all went like clock-work...Woody got out of the infusion chair with just enough time to get back to the lab. At this point he has been stuck 4 times. The Zometa infusion nurse left the needle in so they could use that one...but that caused a problem in the lab and he had to be stuck again...so he was stuck 5 times total today!!! Ouch!!! (The worst part, though, was getting the tape off from the infusion needle!) We were out waiting on our car by 12:15pm.
Since it wasn't raining in Nashville, we left Vanderbilt and went to Tennessee Bicentennial Park. The last time we had been there was shortly after it was dedicated in 1996. I took a few pictures some of which I have shared in tonight's blog (the collage is clickable so you can see the pictures larger). (That is Woody walking across the big map of TN.)The farmer's market is right next to the park so we walked through that, too. The walk in the park and through the market was our walk for today. On our way out of town we did stop and get a bite to eat. We then went on to Murfreesboro where we stopped at Toys R Us to get birthday presents for two of our granddaughters who have birthdays this week.
Happy Birthday, today, to Joy Charlotte who is sooooooo excited to have turned four! Abigail Grace will be just as excited to turn six on Saturday!
We got home around 5pm...so it has been a long day. Here's a prayer request...that Woody not have the problems that he had with the first Zometa treatment. The second is supposed to not bother the patient as much...but there has been such a long period of time between doses that his body might act like it was a first dose. And, Woody had flu-like achy feeling for a couple of days after the last infusion. Woody will be having Zometa treatments monthly at Vanderbilt...when we go for Dr. Sosman's monthly visit. He will be having scans in three weeks as that will be eight weeks since the last scan.
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