His second dose got underway at 6am...so it is about finished as they only take 15 minutes.
It has been a pretty rough night. It is amazing to me how quickly medicine can "mess" with you! We thought that Woody was going to miss having the rigors (shakes/quakes) as those have happened in the past about 1 1/2 to 2 hours after the infusion, but about 4 hours after he had the first dose he got up to go to the bathroom and he got chilled and the rigors started. But he had already had a dose of what they give him for rigors...they gave him a dose of that for pain just prior to the first IL-2 dose. So since he had already had a dose, the dose the nurse gave him for his shakes seemed to quell them fairly quickly and he soon went to sleep. He also has been nauseated and has run a fever. He has gone from one extreme to another--at one point he was shaking from chills and soon after he was hot due to a fever. He has been drinking. At this point his creatinine levels are still in the normal range. Praise God!
The second dose is now finished and the line is being flushed with the dextrose 5% solution. Woody is sleeping at the moment. I'm praying that this 8 hours is better than the last! But I know that in reality that the medicine is building up in his body--so he is probably not going to feel a lot better.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Deja vu...all over again!
Finally we are in a room...it took almost three hours after they admitted us--seems like we are always waiting around here! Everything was very timely till he was admitted and we had to go to the waiting room to wait for a room--that was around 2:15pm and we didn't get a room till a little after 5pm...too long to wait when you don't feel well.
We definitely didn't get a room like we had before. I am feeling claustrophobic! I think that when I pull out my bed that it will block the bathroom door!
On the way here Woody said that he had changed his mind! But...Melany didn't turn back and we are here nonetheless! One of the residents (she's from Manchester) on the oncology team just came in to check him. He has had lab work done. We are waiting to be able to see it online. We knew the last shift RN and Care Partner and we haven't seen the next shift yet. So we are settling into the same routine as before... vitals every 2 hours, lab work every 6 hours, infusions every 8 hours...
He has really talked to them about controlling the rigors (shakes) so we shall see if they are successful! Everything is now on schedule for the 10pm #1 infusion.
I will keep you posted!
Oh, I almost forgot to share a serendipity...shortly after we got into the room, I was standing in the doorway and I looked up and who should be walking down the hall but Dr. Holt, Woody's orthopedic surgeon. She stopped to talk to me and asked how he was doing, etc. I told her what a rough time he had had with the first set of infusions and about his kidney involvement. Then I told her about his hip bothering him. She came into the room and pushed on the spot and asked him questions about when it hurt, etc. Then she went out and looked at the xrays that had been taken on Tuesday. She came back into the room and said that she saw nothing on the xray that would indicate cancer eating at the bone. She felt like it very possibly could be bursitis and that they would check further, and if it were that an injection could help it...so on down the road...but talk about God's timing to have her come along just when I stepped out of his room! That was definitely a reassuring word for Woody (and me!) to hear just prior to starting his treatments.
We definitely didn't get a room like we had before. I am feeling claustrophobic! I think that when I pull out my bed that it will block the bathroom door!
On the way here Woody said that he had changed his mind! But...Melany didn't turn back and we are here nonetheless! One of the residents (she's from Manchester) on the oncology team just came in to check him. He has had lab work done. We are waiting to be able to see it online. We knew the last shift RN and Care Partner and we haven't seen the next shift yet. So we are settling into the same routine as before... vitals every 2 hours, lab work every 6 hours, infusions every 8 hours...
He has really talked to them about controlling the rigors (shakes) so we shall see if they are successful! Everything is now on schedule for the 10pm #1 infusion.
I will keep you posted!
Oh, I almost forgot to share a serendipity...shortly after we got into the room, I was standing in the doorway and I looked up and who should be walking down the hall but Dr. Holt, Woody's orthopedic surgeon. She stopped to talk to me and asked how he was doing, etc. I told her what a rough time he had had with the first set of infusions and about his kidney involvement. Then I told her about his hip bothering him. She came into the room and pushed on the spot and asked him questions about when it hurt, etc. Then she went out and looked at the xrays that had been taken on Tuesday. She came back into the room and said that she saw nothing on the xray that would indicate cancer eating at the bone. She felt like it very possibly could be bursitis and that they would check further, and if it were that an injection could help it...so on down the road...but talk about God's timing to have her come along just when I stepped out of his room! That was definitely a reassuring word for Woody (and me!) to hear just prior to starting his treatments.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Tomorrow at this time...
We should be all settled into our hospital room on the 11th floor of Vanderbilt tomorrow at this time awaiting the 10pm hour for Woody's first Interleukin 2 infusion of this round.
Today Woody has spent resting. His hip is still bothering him when he walks around--so he has mainly stayed put in his recliner, taken pain meds, and rested up for what is ahead of him. He did shower, wash his hair, and shave and then rested some more. Today I have continued to get the things ready that we need to take. It seems like it should be easier since this will be our second visit...but it doesn't seem to be...I guess I know too much this time?! I keep changing my mind...a woman's prerogative...but...at the moment I wish it weren't!
To be continued from Vanderbilt tomorrow...
Today Woody has spent resting. His hip is still bothering him when he walks around--so he has mainly stayed put in his recliner, taken pain meds, and rested up for what is ahead of him. He did shower, wash his hair, and shave and then rested some more. Today I have continued to get the things ready that we need to take. It seems like it should be easier since this will be our second visit...but it doesn't seem to be...I guess I know too much this time?! I keep changing my mind...a woman's prerogative...but...at the moment I wish it weren't!
To be continued from Vanderbilt tomorrow...
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
He said! She said!
The doctor said that Woody was going to enter the hospital today (Mar. 3rd). The nurse said that he was going to enter the hospital on Friday (Mar. 6th).
Dr. Sosman's nurse called at noon to give us the new day and times and explain the reason for the change. What happened was that Dr. Sosman had another patient entering today and a doctor can only have one patient admitted to the cancer ward in a day. The nurse assumed after seeing Woody last week that he wasn't going to be going back in for more treatments so she scheduled someone else for today. So she was very surprised when Dr. Sosman came out from our office visit yesterday saying that Woody was definitely going to go back in for the second round. She explained to Dr. Sosman what she had done and he understood so they just rescheduled Woody for this Friday, Mar. 6th.
Woody is very glad for the respite after the long day yesterday. He is resting this afternoon. And I have been trying to get everything gathered together that we need to take. We did have to rearrange our ride to the hospital. Melany will now be taking us.
Same schedule just a different day: we are to be at the hospital at 1pm for Woody to have a picc line put in, then head to admitting, then sit around till a room is ready for us, then settle in till it is time for the first IL-2 infusion at 10pm.
Please pray for Woody's strength, as he is so much weaker than when he went in for the first set of infusions. Also pray that his kidneys don't get compromised this time.
Dr. Sosman's nurse called at noon to give us the new day and times and explain the reason for the change. What happened was that Dr. Sosman had another patient entering today and a doctor can only have one patient admitted to the cancer ward in a day. The nurse assumed after seeing Woody last week that he wasn't going to be going back in for more treatments so she scheduled someone else for today. So she was very surprised when Dr. Sosman came out from our office visit yesterday saying that Woody was definitely going to go back in for the second round. She explained to Dr. Sosman what she had done and he understood so they just rescheduled Woody for this Friday, Mar. 6th.
Woody is very glad for the respite after the long day yesterday. He is resting this afternoon. And I have been trying to get everything gathered together that we need to take. We did have to rearrange our ride to the hospital. Melany will now be taking us.
Same schedule just a different day: we are to be at the hospital at 1pm for Woody to have a picc line put in, then head to admitting, then sit around till a room is ready for us, then settle in till it is time for the first IL-2 infusion at 10pm.
Please pray for Woody's strength, as he is so much weaker than when he went in for the first set of infusions. Also pray that his kidneys don't get compromised this time.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Well...another day at Vandy...and changes in plans
Woody had his labs done first. Then he went in to see Dr. Sosman. Dr. Sosman's Fellow talked with us first and asked questions to see if Woody was ready both physically and mentally for the next IL-2. Then Dr. Sosman came in and talked with Woody. His creatinine level is finally back in the normal range--just barely but at least in the normal range. They took a lot of time with us talking through questions that Woody had and also checking their computer records. Both doctors encouraged Woody to go back for at least one more treatment. They also stressed that Woody could take as many or as few as he wanted. That he might even take one treatment and then skip the next and then take the next, etc. They talked about how to help him get through the rigors (shakes)...which is really the worst part of this treatment for Woody.
Woody did share that his right hip was hurting (the hurt didn't all go away after he removed his glasses from his pocket (see Feb. 28th's post)). That wasn't a spot that anything had shown up on prior xrays, scans, etc. The Fellow said that perhaps it was bursitis. That sounded good to Woody--over the alternative that it might be another melanoma tumor in the bone. Dr. Sosman did order x-rays to sort of check out the situation.
So we left Dr. Sosman's office with orders for xrays and also with the go-ahead to be back at Vandy tomorrow (Mar. 4th) at 1pm to have the pic line put in and then be admitted for the second part of his Interleukin 2 treatment.
He got the xrays done. (They took over 20 xrays!) Then we headed back home--another very long day--we left the house at 12:30pm and didn't walk back in the door of our house till a little after 8pm.
Shortly after we got home, I went upstairs to check our phone messages. AND...the second message was from Dr. Sosman's nurse saying that Woody wasn't entering the hospital tomorrow...that it would be Friday (Mar. 6th) and that she would call with details tomorrow!
Soooooooooo looks like plans have changed. We aren't all that upset about the change as this will give Woody a couple more days to gain more strength. And I am glad to have a bit more time to get ready.
Woody did share that his right hip was hurting (the hurt didn't all go away after he removed his glasses from his pocket (see Feb. 28th's post)). That wasn't a spot that anything had shown up on prior xrays, scans, etc. The Fellow said that perhaps it was bursitis. That sounded good to Woody--over the alternative that it might be another melanoma tumor in the bone. Dr. Sosman did order x-rays to sort of check out the situation.
So we left Dr. Sosman's office with orders for xrays and also with the go-ahead to be back at Vandy tomorrow (Mar. 4th) at 1pm to have the pic line put in and then be admitted for the second part of his Interleukin 2 treatment.
He got the xrays done. (They took over 20 xrays!) Then we headed back home--another very long day--we left the house at 12:30pm and didn't walk back in the door of our house till a little after 8pm.
Shortly after we got home, I went upstairs to check our phone messages. AND...the second message was from Dr. Sosman's nurse saying that Woody wasn't entering the hospital tomorrow...that it would be Friday (Mar. 6th) and that she would call with details tomorrow!
Soooooooooo looks like plans have changed. We aren't all that upset about the change as this will give Woody a couple more days to gain more strength. And I am glad to have a bit more time to get ready.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Monday update
Woody feels like he is getting a little stronger each day. Today he shared some really good news...his little finger and his ring finger on his left hand now have full feeling again. The feeling in them hadn't been right since his surgery after his bicycle accident on Sept. 15th last year.
Tomorrow Woody has an appointment with Dr. Sosman and will also have lab work done to make sure that he is ready to go back for more treatments on Wed.
Tomorrow Woody has an appointment with Dr. Sosman and will also have lab work done to make sure that he is ready to go back for more treatments on Wed.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Snowy Sunday
We woke up to a world of white this morning. I guess that March came in like a lion--although colored like a lamb!
We have pretty much had a lazy day. Woody spent the afternoon watching basketball games. I started gathering things that need to be packed for the next hospital stay.
Things are pretty much status quo.
We have pretty much had a lazy day. Woody spent the afternoon watching basketball games. I started gathering things that need to be packed for the next hospital stay.
Things are pretty much status quo.
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