Six…On Tuesday we started chemotherapy at the infusion center. From check-in to exit, it took us a bit over six hours. Everyone (including Liz) forgot Liz’s idiosyncratic reaction to Benadry®, so after they plugged the tubes into the port, they gave the small packet of that in order to keep her from an allergic reaction to the medication. Not long after, she went into something called “restless leg syndrome”. It’s something I’ve gotten used to over the past 24 years – when her legs are feeling this way, she has to keep moving them. I got used to the bed, the couch, the car seat, the floor bouncing around as she works off the sensation of crawly thingies on her leg.
This was worse than anything I’ve ever seen. She ended up standing for the entire four hours of chemo delivery. They also gave her something to counteract the Benadry®, but that didn’t start to have any effect until she was nearly done. Then she got loopy and almost fell down on our way out. I walked with her hand in the crook of my elbow until we got to the car. When I let go, she stumbled while I was unlocking the door. Once we were in the car and actually on the way home, she fell fast asleep. (I totally deny that she snored even the tiniest bit!)
Prior to the first chemo infusion, we went through an orientation session where the nurse tried to tell us everything that would happen. It took a long time, it was great, but left us with more information than we could possibly handle. One of the things we remembered best was that after this day, they hinted that she’d feel pretty good and then begin a slide to Friday or so when she’d have to sleep.
Oops. She slept away most of Wednesday and about half of Thursday! Of course, another thing they told us was that “Every person is different!” So…what’s next? What ELSE is going to be different? The dietician said that she HAD to keep up on the calories – so she can eat ice cream, eggs, toast, butter, PB and all KINDS of yummy things! However, we also found out today that Liz isn’t hungry at night – so she’s supposed to compensate and eat more in the morning…
This, my friends, is the NEW NORMAL!
And now – like the countdown for this last flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavor, OUR countdown, Liz’s countdown has begun. Five more left – and then, like Endeavor’s eventual return to Earth, Liz will have a triumphant return to some sort of version of the OLD NORMAL!
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