CHEMO DAY 1 OF 20

So far so good!  It's just after dinner and Dave has survived without nausea today, knock on wood.  He was drowsy this afternoon and took a nap as soon as we arrived home.  (He said he slept okay last night, though I did not.)  This evening the skin on the back of his neck is feeling "raw" and it looks a bit reddish.  We were told some people have a mild allergic reaction to interferon (INF) so maybe that's what it is.

Selecting a book to listen to from his iPad
Oct. 7, 2013

We arrived for our 9 AM appointment and met with Rosemary, Dr. S's nurse practitioner.  She was surprised Dave didn't have his pick line (what I previously referred to as a vein pick).  Turns out there was a little snafu trying to get it arranged on a Friday afternoon after our last appointment, but it is now scheduled for 7:30 AM tomorrow.

It was not a problem; Dave has good veins and the IVs were started by 9:30.  First he had a bag of a saline solution for hydration, then Atavan for anxiety, an anti-nausea drug, Benadryl for any allergic reactions, then the INF (the smallest bag of all) and finally another bag of the saline.  He also had two Tylenol tablets when the IV was put in, and is supposed to continue taking Tylenol around the clock.

Dave was seated in a recliner with two pillows and a blanket.  He listened to his book-on-iPad, had a little cat nap, and I went through the Savannah News, four magazines and did a little bit of emailing.  We don't have wi-fi there, can you believe it???

Dave ate a small lunch and dinner and has been drinking lots of water per instructions.  He didn't get any exercise today though.  I went out this afternoon as I take Coleman to an art class on Mondays, but on days I'm home I hope to get Dave out for a walk.  We even talked about going to the pool this afternoon as it was 88º and sunny, but that's when Dave needed his nap.

We've been told to expect nausea, aching, and probably a fever as the INF kicks his immunity system into high gear.  Let's hope none of this comes into play and we both get plenty of rest tonight!