July flew by. Carl went to Garner Dam Boy Scout camp (in Wisconsin, North of Shawno) with Tom, Anthony and Nathan for 1 week - Leaving Sunday, July 25 and returning Saturday July 31, 2010. They survived mosquitoes and tornado warnings and the food prepared by the Boy Scouts. (Meat sometimes burnt, sometimes raw, always an adventure, I gather.) He had a great time in the great outdoors, sleeping with critters crawling under his tent. Carl returned with fuzzy gray hair and a leg swollen up like a watermelon. (OK, maybe it wasn't swollen up quite that big.)
On Monday, August 2, 2010 Carl went in for lab work and to get some chemotherapy. Because his leg was so swollen, they gave his leg an ultrasound to see if there was a blood clot in his leg. Good News, no blood clot. Bad news (or is this good news?) no chemotherapy, at least this week.
On Wednesday, August 4, 2010, a bunch of Doctors discussed Carl at Froedtert's "tumor board". The consensus after the meeting of the Doctors was to continue with chemotherapy.
[Here is a fun aside. The Doctors have three main options for treating cancer. In some cancer patient's terminology, Doctors can Slash, Burn or Poison the cancer. "Slashing" is surgery, "Burning" is radiation, and "poisoning" is chemotherapy. I believe Doctors rarely refer to these options with the cancer patient's slang.]
On Thursday, August 5, 2010, Carl went to the oncologist's PT (Physical Therapy) lymphatic system lady. (OK, I should find out her real title). She showed us how to wrap up Carl's leg to ease the swelling, and a massage that may help his lymphatic system.
So tomorrow, Monday, August 9, 2010, Carl will be getting chemotheraopy. He will be returning to the five days of inpatient chemotherapy, featuring the drugs Adriomycin & ifosomide.
Showing posts with label inpatient. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inpatient. Show all posts
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Chemotherapy Round No. 4 done
Carl completed his 4th round of chemotherapy (third round of inpatient Chemotherapy) on Friday, March 5, 2010. He was in the Froedtert Hospital continuously from Monday, March 1, 2010 through Friday.
Carl and I think he is tolerating the chemotherapy very well, although Carl said Thursday and Friday were really bad. I tried to get him to define it, and he said that Thursday alone felt like 40 hours of having the flu. The bed is always moving and he thinks he was awake almost every 2 hours.
Here is a photo of Carl on Thursday. On Thursday, he can hardly open his eyes. It was a hugely busy week for the children and me, and only Miranda got a chance to visit Carl in the Hospital, and only on Thursday. (Visiting earlier in the week is preferred.) The other three children wanted to stay home. I'm not sure what to think about that, but Miranda and I had a nice visit.
The photo below shows what Carl and Miranda think of chemotherapy. But we don't hate the chemo, oh no. Hate the cancer, love the treatments. Or at least tolerate them. Technology and prayers will keep Carl alive.
So this is what the inpatient rounds of chemotherapy infusions are like (approximately- don't go using this as a recipe for in-home care) for treating Carl's sarcoma (Mon-Friday Jan 18-22, 2010; Mon-Friday Feb 8-12, 2010; Mon-Friday March 1-5, 2010).
Chemotherapy for Round 2, 3, and 4:
24 hours after the end of the in-patient chemotherapy, on either Saturday or Sunday, Carl has to go back to the Medical complex, this time the Cancer Center's 3rd floor Day hospital, for the Neulasta shot.
This is a picture of the Neulasta (also known as pegfilgrastin) injection. The instructions say "do not shake tube". So now I wonder, what happens if you shake the tube? Will it blow up? Or just not work? Whatever. Don't shake it. We want it to do whatever it is that it does.
(Dr. Seuss could say it better.)
[Neulasta promotes the white blood cell count, since the chemotherapy just wiped out all the white blood cells as a side effect, and white blood cells are kind of nice to have around.]
And finally, here is Carl walking out of the 3rd floor Cancer Center Day Hospital. Maybe someday I will tell you a funny story about this picture.
The Cancer Center is a beautiful facility that just opened in May 15, 2008. (I think the Cancer Center is officially called The Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center, [that's 10 words...] I've also seen it referred to as the MCW Clinical Cancer Center - much more catchy.) The titles leave me wondering: just what does the work "Clinical" add to the name, besides three syllables, I mean. A warm and fuzzy feeling? Whatever. Beautiful building, $95 million dollars of technology, and Carl can't wait to leave.
P.S. The MCW acronym is frequently referred to as M-COW. Very Wisconsin like, don't you think?
Carl and I think he is tolerating the chemotherapy very well, although Carl said Thursday and Friday were really bad. I tried to get him to define it, and he said that Thursday alone felt like 40 hours of having the flu. The bed is always moving and he thinks he was awake almost every 2 hours.
Here is a photo of Carl on Thursday. On Thursday, he can hardly open his eyes. It was a hugely busy week for the children and me, and only Miranda got a chance to visit Carl in the Hospital, and only on Thursday. (Visiting earlier in the week is preferred.) The other three children wanted to stay home. I'm not sure what to think about that, but Miranda and I had a nice visit.
The photo below shows what Carl and Miranda think of chemotherapy. But we don't hate the chemo, oh no. Hate the cancer, love the treatments. Or at least tolerate them. Technology and prayers will keep Carl alive.
So this is what the inpatient rounds of chemotherapy infusions are like (approximately- don't go using this as a recipe for in-home care) for treating Carl's sarcoma (Mon-Friday Jan 18-22, 2010; Mon-Friday Feb 8-12, 2010; Mon-Friday March 1-5, 2010).
Chemotherapy for Round 2, 3, and 4:
- Over 2 hours of time, Simultaneously
- Saline solution, 1400 mg.
- Ondansetron 16 mg - Anti Nausea medication
- Dexamethasone 20 mg - Anti Nausea medication
- Over the next 22 hours of time
- Mesna 700 mg - this protects the kidneys linings from bleeding, which is a side effect from taking Ifosfamide.
- Ifosfamide, 3800 mg in 500 ml of saline solution.
- Adriomycin, 34 mg in 500 ml of saline solution. This is the heavy hitting drug, and the main difference from the outpatient chemotherapy.
- When those bags are empty, a saline flush of the IV ports, followed by heparin, and then Carl is disconnected so that he can take a shower. Once the shower is over, he is connected up again, and the next 22 hours infusion starts. This is done 4 times in all.
- After 4 days, Over the last 6 hours of time
- Saline solution, 1400 mg.
- Mesna 1400 mg - Mesna protects the kidneys linings from bleeding, which is a side effect from taking Ifosfamide.
- When those last bags are empty, a saline flush of the IV ports, followed by heparin, and then Carl is disconnected. And he can go home. Yeah. Tired.
24 hours after the end of the in-patient chemotherapy, on either Saturday or Sunday, Carl has to go back to the Medical complex, this time the Cancer Center's 3rd floor Day hospital, for the Neulasta shot.
This is a picture of the Neulasta (also known as pegfilgrastin) injection. The instructions say "do not shake tube". So now I wonder, what happens if you shake the tube? Will it blow up? Or just not work? Whatever. Don't shake it. We want it to do whatever it is that it does.
(Dr. Seuss could say it better.)
[Neulasta promotes the white blood cell count, since the chemotherapy just wiped out all the white blood cells as a side effect, and white blood cells are kind of nice to have around.]
And finally, here is Carl walking out of the 3rd floor Cancer Center Day Hospital. Maybe someday I will tell you a funny story about this picture.
The Cancer Center is a beautiful facility that just opened in May 15, 2008. (I think the Cancer Center is officially called The Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center, [that's 10 words...] I've also seen it referred to as the MCW Clinical Cancer Center - much more catchy.) The titles leave me wondering: just what does the work "Clinical" add to the name, besides three syllables, I mean. A warm and fuzzy feeling? Whatever. Beautiful building, $95 million dollars of technology, and Carl can't wait to leave.
P.S. The MCW acronym is frequently referred to as M-COW. Very Wisconsin like, don't you think?
Monday, January 25, 2010
2nd Chemotherapy Round
Carl completed 4 nights and 5 days of inpatient chemotherapy, Monday, Jan 18th, 2010 to Friday, Jan 22, 2010. Prayers have helped. I hope chemotherapy goes this smoothly each time.
Monday Jan 18, 2010 : Carl and I left around 7:00 AM to go to the Medical Complex. The children were home from school and were supposed to be sleeping, so we left them at home. But three of the children woke up enough to say 'bye. A good friend came over at 8:00 AM to feed the children breakfast and hang with them, until enough of them were up and dressed and in condition for her to transport the kids to R's Fantasy House for Children.
As for Carl and I, maybe someday I will outline this mostly boring day, but right now I don't want you to fall asleep. After appointments for blood work, X-rays, Doctor R, a dietitian, and Doctor C, Carl was admitted to the Froedtert hospital 4NT wing. (We privately refer to 4NT as "The Spa"). (Froedtert is pronounced like the two words 'fray dirt', which is no reflection on the hospital, which is clean and staffed with wonderful people. We saw nothing frayed during Carl's stay.)
The Chemotherapy drip was started on Monday at around 2:30 PM, and was then left going continuously until Friday, around 8:00 PM. I eventually left to go rescue Saint R from my children. [Oops, I mean pick up my children from Robin's House.]
Tuesday Jan 19, 2010 : Carl was doing great with his Chemo, and was making use of the recumbent exercise bike in the spa's family center, which had a nice view.
Wednesday Jan 20, 2010 : Carl was doing well with his Chemo, but was tired often. Then three of the four Grisa children came to visit him from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM on a school night...
Thursday Jan 21, 2010 : Carl pretty much slept for 20 hours. This may have been the result his children visiting, or his chemotherapy, we aren't actually sure.
Friday Jan 22, 2010 : Carl was very tired, but determined to leave as scheduled. He declined an offer of staying an extra day at the spa, pretty much because he just felt like going home. At 8:00 PM we were leaving the hospital, and the very cool nursing staff behind.
Saturday Jan 23, 2010 : Carl had to return to the hospital for a scheduled shot of Neulasta (also know as Pegfilgrastim - see how close those words are?). Had he been dehydrated or had his heart been racing, etc., they would have given him IV fluids, but fortunately it was a relatively quick in - quick out visit to Cancer Center's Day Hospital. Carl pretty much rested for the rest of the day.
Sunday Jan 24, 2010 : Carl go to stay in his own house for 24 hours. Friends visited, and some of the church came to him since he didn't get to church. I thought Carl would be tired, but he was in good spirits and up and moving around from about 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Monday Jan 25, 2010 : Carl slept in, and was going stir crazy staying in the house by about 2:30 PM. I took him on a small field trip. We will see what the rest of the week brings...
He has no more Doctor appointments until February. (OK, I know that is technically only days away, but I'm kind of glad the next appointment is in an entirely different month...)
Thank You so much to all who have said prayers, sent notes, called, visited, and helped us. We have had help with rides, hanging with our children, meals and more. Dawn Fuchs from our church has offered to help coordinate meals and rides, and has been a real blessing to our family.
Monday Jan 18, 2010 : Carl and I left around 7:00 AM to go to the Medical Complex. The children were home from school and were supposed to be sleeping, so we left them at home. But three of the children woke up enough to say 'bye. A good friend came over at 8:00 AM to feed the children breakfast and hang with them, until enough of them were up and dressed and in condition for her to transport the kids to R's Fantasy House for Children.
As for Carl and I, maybe someday I will outline this mostly boring day, but right now I don't want you to fall asleep. After appointments for blood work, X-rays, Doctor R, a dietitian, and Doctor C, Carl was admitted to the Froedtert hospital 4NT wing. (We privately refer to 4NT as "The Spa"). (Froedtert is pronounced like the two words 'fray dirt', which is no reflection on the hospital, which is clean and staffed with wonderful people. We saw nothing frayed during Carl's stay.)The Chemotherapy drip was started on Monday at around 2:30 PM, and was then left going continuously until Friday, around 8:00 PM. I eventually left to go rescue Saint R from my children. [Oops, I mean pick up my children from Robin's House.]
Tuesday Jan 19, 2010 : Carl was doing great with his Chemo, and was making use of the recumbent exercise bike in the spa's family center, which had a nice view.
Wednesday Jan 20, 2010 : Carl was doing well with his Chemo, but was tired often. Then three of the four Grisa children came to visit him from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM on a school night...
Thursday Jan 21, 2010 : Carl pretty much slept for 20 hours. This may have been the result his children visiting, or his chemotherapy, we aren't actually sure.
Friday Jan 22, 2010 : Carl was very tired, but determined to leave as scheduled. He declined an offer of staying an extra day at the spa, pretty much because he just felt like going home. At 8:00 PM we were leaving the hospital, and the very cool nursing staff behind.Saturday Jan 23, 2010 : Carl had to return to the hospital for a scheduled shot of Neulasta (also know as Pegfilgrastim - see how close those words are?). Had he been dehydrated or had his heart been racing, etc., they would have given him IV fluids, but fortunately it was a relatively quick in - quick out visit to Cancer Center's Day Hospital. Carl pretty much rested for the rest of the day.
Sunday Jan 24, 2010 : Carl go to stay in his own house for 24 hours. Friends visited, and some of the church came to him since he didn't get to church. I thought Carl would be tired, but he was in good spirits and up and moving around from about 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
Monday Jan 25, 2010 : Carl slept in, and was going stir crazy staying in the house by about 2:30 PM. I took him on a small field trip. We will see what the rest of the week brings...
He has no more Doctor appointments until February. (OK, I know that is technically only days away, but I'm kind of glad the next appointment is in an entirely different month...)
Thank You so much to all who have said prayers, sent notes, called, visited, and helped us. We have had help with rides, hanging with our children, meals and more. Dawn Fuchs from our church has offered to help coordinate meals and rides, and has been a real blessing to our family.
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