Fifth Session

July 6, 2010, 11:17 AM

Well Pat has closed her eyes, although she is not sleeping as yet. The drill was a bit different today because Pat didn’t have to see Dr. Lilly before starting chemo. He had seen her Thursday and cleared her for chemo after blood tests. The celebration of July 4th on July 5th forced the change from our routine Monday visits. As her hemoglobin was up a bit it was full speed ahead, or at least ¾ speed. So this morning began with drawing blood immediately followed by beginning chemo before the results were in. If you remember this differs from the protocol of prior weeks in which chemo was not begun until after the results of the testing were reviewed. This was possible because the session was begun with Rituximab, the only chemo agent that is not affected by the results of the labs. Those results arrived before it was time for the second step of the CHOP chemo. Pat’s hemoglobin, although not normal, was high enough to not cause any alteration in the rest of the poisoning or to call for the blood transfusion that capped her last session.

Oh yes - the change in routine. After dropping Pat off I scooted over to Starbucks to pick up a yogurt parfait and coffee for her. I had had breakfast at home, but got coffee for myself as well. By the time I got back to UCI, Pat was ready to begin. This was at least 2 hours earlier than in our prior visits and so the prospect of a much earlier departure brightened the day which was hazy with a light drizzle. Like clockwork the candy striper, a mature gentleman with a dark blue shirt, appeared mid morning with juice, crackers and all sorts of tummy stuffers. By 12: 30 he was back with lunch. What is the expression? - “too soon old and too late smart” - today we found out that Pat could request something other that the standard lunch of our prior visits - Soup - usually pretty good, a turkey and cheese sandwich, vanilla pudding -yucky, a bottle of water and a chocolate chip cookie. This time Pat opted for a tuna fish sandwich - not bad. I, not being a patient, was stuck with the usual - but it is significantly better than hunger.

12:47 PM

The nurse has just left after switching to the last of the poisons, excuse me chemo agents, cytoxin. That means that in another hour were out of here. I am about ready to close down the computer - to finish this posting at home. Pat has not slept at all this time out. At the moment she is scouting Paris in the National Geographic Traveler.

6:27 PM

Pat is preparing dinner, taking advantage of Trader Joe’s good prepared dishes. We were out of UCI before 2:00 o’clock. The mistiness that shrouded us on our way in in the morning was not diminished by our delight in getting out so early. On the way home we stopped at The Spectrum so that Pat could shop for a gift. Once home, not having slept during the day, she headed quickly for the comfort of the bed. Getting up from what has become her daily rest, she checked her phone calls and attacked the Trader Joe’s special with gusto anticipating the slow down that marks the second and third days after the treatment. How well she has been feeling the last couple of days is the carrot that keeps her looking past those difficult days. And then there is the possibility that the next treatment could be the last one.