Friday 1-Oct-2010
The infusion itself went well but Kris is drained at the end of the infusion. That night we rested with Iron Man II and went to bed early. As before things seemed fine Saturday.
Monday 4-Oct-2010
The infusion went well. Kris seemed chipper and fine (which is a departure) when I left her (I have class Monday nights and we time it so I can be at the infusion, however I can’t stay through the whole process). This is a departure from the norm, and a good one. Her blood pressure is actually fine at this point. The systolic is still a bit higher than I wish, being about 80, but in the overall it’s fine.
Cycle 2. Okay a bit of clarification. I am using ‘Round 4’ to mean the fourth time Kris has been diagnosed with cancer. In previous notes I was using ‘Chemo 1’ for the first infusion but she would typically have an infusion every three weeks. Now she has three week cycles in which she will have four infusions: Friday, Monday, Friday and Monday. Thus From here on out I’ll use ‘cycle’ to mean which set of four infusions she’s on. This note covers infusion three and four of cycle 1 and infusions one and two of cycle two… confusing enough? Well, if so, I’m sorry for the confusion but it’s what we are doing.
Infusion one: Friday 15-Oct-2010
Again, all is quiet. We keep having to warn the nursing staff to NOT use the automated BP monitor as it always seems to add about 20 points to Kris’ BP. We are very well known by the staff now as we are always playing games that cause them great curiosity… as well as the other patients. Kris seemed less tired after the infusion but wasn’t up to her normal speed. We spent the night quiet and bed early.
Kris has noticed that her bowels are in a sort of rebellion because of this chemo. She’ll not go for about two days after the infusion and then she has difficulty going as she’s blocked up. This round of chemo, we tried using a laxative twice a day for the days following the infusion, through Sunday night. This helped but after the initial movement, things went a little too well. We titrated so that Monday she took a laxative an hour or so before the infusion, another after the infusion then one more the following day. This helped as she was able to… move… easily and more readily after the chemo session but things are still a bit too, um, facilitated. So, we’re going to do one before and one after next time. Our thinking is that the chemo is causing the initial blockage but everything else seems fine. By taking the laxative before chemo, we are counteracting the formation of that initial blockage. Yeah, this is a minor thing but something I want anyone else to be aware of if they should ever need to go through something like this… and they plan is for no one to have to go through it!
Infusion two: Monday 18-Oct-2010
Everything went smoothly. Some of the issues I covered in the ‘squeamish’ paragraph above.
For those that don’t know, this is copied at: http://www.krisanddavehart.blogspot.com should you want to catch up or keep up.
As always, thank you for your thoughts and well wishes… they keep us going.
From: David Allen Hart [mailto:David.Hart@Colorado.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2010 5:40 PM
To: 'David Hart'; Reed_Ann@stvrain.k12.co.us; bjc-ops@comcast.net; bobby4th@yahoo.com; bacotton@us.ibm.com; christapie@gmail.com; alexande@us.ibm.com; lieder@us.ibm.com; ccompton@us.ibm.com; ottmar@us.ibm.com; 'Duane Calvin'; eclectic-wave-kks@cox.net; eclectic-wave-rs@cox.net; geralyn@us.ibm.com; wogordon@yahoo.com; totosato@cox.net; inettles@us.ibm.com; jpk@us.ibm.com; jaydunk@cox.net; cannonj@us.ibm.com; beggly2001@yahoo.com; joecthulhu@aol.com; jmaron@us.ibm.com; kchart45@aol.com; kitkat@us.ibm.com; krishart@us.ibm.com; LindaRandall61@aol.com; carlisle-1@comcast.net; marilynwiddifield@peoplepc.com; markdean@us.ibm.com; MaryWarren@cox.net; mcmillan@apo.nmsu.edu; miragrig@us.ibm.com; bellivea@us.ibm.com; mccordp@us.ibm.com; pettitdp@msn.com; fahey@us.ibm.com; rrangel@us.ibm.com; lsubelle21@yahoo.com; restep@us.ibm.com; guderian@us.ibm.com; RMNUNEZ@us.ibm.com; sanatk@us.ibm.com; sdakins@us.ibm.com; shazmira1@yahoo.com; carlisle3@verizon.net; swinch@us.ibm.com; stevey@us.ibm.com; themancalledbear@yahoo.com; wramsey@us.ibm.com; whispermoran@yahoo.com; wwphx@yahoo.com; dahart1.krisanddavehart@blogger.com
Subject: RE: Kris, Dave and the Lumps: Round 4, Chemos 1 and 2
Thursday 16 Sep 2010
Got word that we were accepted into the trial.
Thursday 23 Sep 2010
Due to scheduling constraints we had to have our Dr’s visit today though the first infusion is tomorrow. Everything seems go though Kris still has issues with her tongue from the Ixempra in the last bout.
Friday 24 Sep 2010
First infusion went well though there was some confusion about needing tests… they’d been done with the Dr’s visit on Thursday. Because it’s a trial, they took Kris’ vitals before the infusion, BP, heart rate, temp. Then again after the infusion. We were alarmed because her BP was 120-ish over 70-ish the day before, and after the infusion it was 140-ish over 95 (or there about). The nurse consulted with the Dr. and his take was ‘wait and see’. Long and short is that it’s not an immediate concern but something we need to monitor. Kris also complained about body aches and tiredness, basically flu like symptoms. This is one of the side effects that are normal for this course of drugs but it’s not pleasant. When we went home we just laid down on the couch and rested.
Saturday 25 Sep 2010
Kris feels fine so the flu-like symptoms are not pleasant but aren’t lingering either.
Monday 27 Sep 2010
With this treatment, Kris has infusions Fri-Mon-Fri-Mon then a week off and repeat so, back at the Cancer center. The nice thing is that it’s Panera Bread day on Mondays. A local Panera bread donates quite a bit of bread to the cancer center so Kris took a loaf of raisin bread (and snuck off with a load and a small baguette for class). Infusion went well save that again, her BP shot up. This time the nurse brought around an old fashioned cuff and checked it and rather than being in the 140s over 90s, it was 130s over high 70s, or something close to it. Long and short is that we think the new fangled machine which is nicely automated is running a bit high. Also the flu like symptoms were pretty bad again this time.
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