A Bi- week

This week would normally mark the start of another chemo week. We are getting a "bi" week with chemo postponed until Wednesday of next week.  Roger's  oncologist, Dr. B,  said an extra "off" week would not be harmful to the treatment.  After how bad last week was....I'm happy to have an extra week off.  And a bad week, it really was. So, hopefully the extra week will mean Roger feels even better this weekend.  We have a family-reunion type event in South Bend that should prove to be loads of laughter.  All good for the soul.

I'm filled with mixed emotions as I write tonight.  Friday, Roger has a CT Scan to see how effective the chemo has been.  Judging by how good the "good days" are, we are led to believe (and Dr. B agrees) that the chemo has been doing its job.  I'd be lying if I said we weren't apprehensive/concerned/anxious.  The other part of the mixed emotion...is after Roger FINALLY starts having good days...its down right difficult to gear up for another round of bad days.  I'm hoping the extra bi-week will give Roger more strength so that the next round of chemo may not be as horrible as Round #4.  Crossing fingers....hoping hoping hoping.

Not sure what Roger's weight is.  He tries to weigh himself every few days.  Usually I badger him to find out. Up? or Down? and then the appropriate follow up nagging for food hydration, etc.  I'm guessing he is about 147.  He usually loses about 5-7 lbs during chemo and the few days following taking him back down to 140.  Then as his appetite returns, he will ramp back up to 147-150.  We keep hoping we can get him above 150 and gradually work his weight upward.  Its a vicious cycle.

Can't remember if I mentioned previously, we've had a home nurse come in to train me how to give Roger fluids here at home so that we don't have to go into the hospital, and can in fact reduce the number of times we go into the infusion center.  The beauty of doing this at home is 1) less chance of big ol' nasty hospital germs getting Roger, and 2) its much easier, more relaxing to be at home.  The process is no big deal.  Roger's port is accessed by one of the nurses at the infusion center.  They leave the needle in.  Then here at home, I hook up the saline solutions to an IV line, and then attach the IV lines (after sanitizing and alcohol rubbing everything) to the needle line and away the solutions drip.  We flush his lines with saline and finish with this blood thinner stuff called heprin which keeps the port line from clogging up.  And there you have it.  All in the process takes us about 3 hours or so.  And, its just generally better for both of us.  I can buzz around the house with house work or yard work, and Roger can snooze or surf the tv channels. A pharmacy delivery service will bring us the supplies we need to give Roger fluids on an as need basis. 

Thats all for now.  Hugs to all. ~a