The Day Dawns

[mlerules]

Not quite up w/the crows today. Got some intermittent sleep. Will try napping some later, but the new dryer's due for delivery 'n' installation here sometime 'tween 9-11am so I wanna be awake 'n' functional for that. jaylake slept some last night, too, but I'm very glad he's crashed out again on the couch right now, as the exhaustion w/this round o' chemo's been extreme and last night's sleep was fairly fitful.

Have discovered that jaylake's chemo-infuser pump* goes click/whir every so slightly every minute, so I find myself listening for it (or, rather, listening for not it). Sorta silly, actually, b'c if'n something does go wonky - crimped line, low battery, &c. - an alarm'll go off. And beeping'll apparently happen as well once the well's nearly run dry (approx 2:05pm tomorrow aka Sunday, about 48 hours after it began filling his bloodstream w/toxic chemicals).

He reports that this version of chemo (FOLFIRI) so far has far less harsh mental side-effects than the FOLFOX did last time. (It hasn't halved his IQ 'n' brain capacity.) The new regimen, however, does have far harsher physical side-effects, the ones most commonly associated w/chemo (serious exhaustion & major nausea). Ah, balance...

Yesterday featured a chunk o' time in the OHSU Cancer Care Center (7th floor of waterfront clinic). Lovely views, very nice facilities, and really good staff by 'n' large. I got to watch lotsa boats out on the Willamette cruise by and around Ross Island - dragon boats, canoes, kayaks, power boats, a barge pushed along by a bright yellow tugboat, the Spirit of Portland (if'n that's it's real name - I'm tip-tapping along here w/out paying a lotta attention to what I'm saying now), &c. The window also looks out onto a functioning boatyard, where I could see a guy welding as part of the building of a new boat (possibly a barge). Apparently jaylake &c. were there to see the last barge built there launch into the river, which was quite the occasion!


*a Cudd Prizm, which puts me in mind of him as a calf suckling while teathered to a medicinal teat

Comments

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

The views from OSMI are great. Also there's a taco truck that pulls up on the street below that has pretty good food--a change from the cafe downstairs although the cafe downstairs is good too.

Yeah, I know what you mean about the pump. I listened for that and to hear him breathe. The sounds mark time, slowly, slowly but they mean all is well.

Not to be a bummer but...The first two or three chemos on FOLFOX didn't affect him mentally either. The mental stuff is cummulative. He's probably forgotten but he did a lot of stuff the first 3 or 4 chemos before it really got to him.

I'm hoping the nausea will pass. I taught him to eat a little fairly often, that helps a lot. Protein is better than carbs. Protein shakes probably a good idea although those things in the can suck--but you can use them for a base with a banana.

I gota run but I'll be home after 5 if either of you want to call and talk.
Anon

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

Oh the launch was cool but it was just me and Jay that day. I did almost all of his chemos with him.

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Thx for tips. He's mentioned that the effects take time to build up. Hopefully the 4 - surgery - recovery - 8 schedule will ameliorate this somewhat. Yeah re: small eatings throughout day, that's plan/happening.

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

I doubt the time off from chemo will ameliorate the symptoms but I hope it does.

Worse parts were when he had nightmares at the chemo infusions and again at home.
Thanks.

[hollyteige.livejournal.com]

It is interesting how time becomes measured by the sounds of medical machinery once it enters your world.

::hugs:: and wishes for speedy healing and the best of humor while you work through this together.

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's helping that various folks (such as yourself :-) keep in touch w/me along the way.

[evilgerbil.livejournal.com]

I don't know him but I'll keep him in my thoughts. The more I learn about biology, the more awe I have for the human body on a microscopic level.

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

Thx.

[clayshaper.livejournal.com]

Chemo is just the TOTAL SUCKAGE. I think he is a brave fellow to get in the trenches with it again, and I bet this stuff will work even better than the last- even if it does suck a lot physically. Anti-Emetics are /definately/ the gawd that can kick the Chemo barf-god's butt... but not always. Zofran is the big gun I have retreated to, but I know for most folks it doesn't actually eliminate the nausea, just the barf-reflex... :/ So you don't barf, but you still feel like you will. UGH.

Give him a hug for me.

[mlerules.livejournal.com]

thx