August 10, 2013 - Day One, Post-Infusion #2

This is just ridiculously easy this time.

After again sleeping 12 hours last night - and again peeing and sweating a lot - I woke up this morning to no fever and TONS of energy!

Spent most of the morning in the driveway in the old trailer, "Lil' Chick," working some makeover magic, spackling and moving an electrical outlet.

After lunch, it was off to AmVets with a truckload of stuff to donate, then computer time to update the blog about yesterday's infusion.  Now I'm gonna spend some quality time in the kitchen and make a yummy Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin with Kale and Mushrooms, then put my feet up.

Can I get a "HELL YEAH!" for feeling great, post-infusion!?!

August 9, 2013 - Second Infusion

Infusion Number Two:  DONE and DONE!  And much easier than the first, I might add.  

Appointment time wasn’t until 1:00 PM, so that left a little time beforehand to get some errands done – and have a little bite to eat in the car on the way.



I know, I know – not the healthiest snack in the world,

but damn it tastes good!

After the first infusion, as I was making my way to the 5^th story of the parking structure, LaLa let us in on a little-known parking secret:  part of the ground level is reserved for cancer patients.

Now, if there had only been just a few empty spaces, I definitely wouldn’t have parked there – those spaces need to be kept open for patients who are worse off than this Lymphopixie.  But the area was mostly empty, so I parked and schlepped my stuff into the infusion center.



I checked in and had a seat in the waiting area, but this time only had to wait about 10 minutes before being called back to a chair.



Peace.  Or infusion number two. Take your pick!

Yeh, I wouldn’t be smiling long.  Poor Arlene the awesome nurse tried to get the IV started in a vein on the underside of my left arm, but it just wouldn’t take.  After jabbing the needle around in my vein for a while, she decided to take it out and try again somewhere else.

Right after this photo was taken, my brain kicked in and said, “You DO realize that you have a needle swimming around under your skin, trying to find a good spot in your vein, don’t you?  Doesn’t it feel ooooogy and icky?”

Blech. 

Um, yeh it DOES feel ooooogy and icky and now so do I. 

I started to feel really faint, but had the presence of mind to recline the chair and get my feet up.  Never passed out, thank Buddha, and Arlene was able to get the IV in.  After that little episode, I felt fine.  There’s just something about a needle wiggling under my skin trying to land in a good spot in a vein that just icks me out…..

Onward!

A few hives sprung up on the underside of my arm at the site of the first IV attempt, but never spread or got out of hand.  Not sure why they appeared, as there was nothing in the IV at the time.

Hives of unknown origin. Go figure.

I again took the two Tylenol for the anticipated fever, and Arlene started the pre-med Benadryl.

I decided I wanted to make my IV bags a little more spiffy this time, so I brought some décor….. 

After all, this IS my new favorite cocktail!

Front-row infusion chairs have the best views!

This time, I was started off at 100-whatevers, with the goal of getting to 400 in increments of 100.  Last time, it was incrementally by 50, I had that bad reaction, and I only was able to make it up to 300-whatevers.  I was more than slightly concerned that this increased drip rate would spur another reaction!  But Arlene said, “Nope, this time you won’t have any reaction at all.”  She said it with such confidence that I said, “Alrighty then!  No reaction today!”

The power of positive thinking and putting good energy and thoughts out to the Universe is amazing!  I kept having NO REACTION!  RIGHT ON!



Like last time, blood pressure and temperature taken
every 30 minutes. This time, my BP stayed consistently right
where it should be, and my temp only rose by two degrees.

I had myself plugged into my tunes, and dozed off and on to wonderfully soothing meditation music.

When I wasn’t dozing, I was reading.  At the time I was packing my infusion day bag for this session, I didn’t realize the irony of one of the books I included:

Wow – this could be the title of my exploits in Cancerland,
since this pesky cancer thing was discovered completely by accident!

I also wanted to cozy up for a fix of glamp porn…..

…..and to literarily visit with some of my thousands of new-found Sisters in Sisters on the Fly.  I joined this phenomenal group of women when I decided to buy a vintage trailer to glamp-up - for THOSE adventures, see my other blog, www.1964thunderbolt.blogspot.com

www.sistersonthefly.com

There’s a fabulous spiritual thread than runs through the Sisters, a hankering for adventure and seeing new places and trying new things.  Their stories are empowering, embolding, and inspiring, and make me confidant that I can do ANYTHING, including making over a 1964 teeny tiny trailer AND kicking ass on this cancer thing!  I’m proud to be Sister #3668!

After only about three hours, my Rituxan bag was e-m-p-t-y !  Because the drip rate is started off low and slow, it takes a long time for the bag to start to go down; once the drip rate is steadily increased, though, it seems like it empties pretty fast.  Yay for that!

The IV was removed, one final BP and temp taken, and then I was outta there!

Happiness is being in the car after a non-reaction infusion!

Starving again, I made a beeline for Cheesecake Factory.

I’m a sucker for Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Madeira.

I boxed up half of my dinner so I could save room for dessert – DUH!

A little (actually, big) slice of heaven!

Overall, this second infusion went almost textbook:  they say that if there’s going to be any reaction, it’ll be with the first one, and that subsequent infusions will take less time.  Correct on both counts!

Now go to work, Rituxan, and kill off those annoying cancer cells!

August 8, 2013 - Day Six, Post-Infusion

Off to the lab today after work for a blood draw; will have to do this on the days prior to infusions.  No biggie - painless, in-and-out in a flash!



I'm getting oddly used to this.....

I also picked up a cute good-sized reusable bag at the fabric store today, to schlep my stuff to the infusion center:

Last week, being my first day, I hauled many pounds of stuff with me.  They said to be prepared to be there all day, so I was!  In addition to my pillow and yellow blankie, I had packed my bag (actually a small suitcase, and no I'm not kidding.....) with a plethora of reading material, two big bottles of Smart Water, two Greek yogurts, cheese, pretzels, granola bars, phone charger, earphones, and socks.  And exactly how much did I actually use?  Let's see:  I did put on the socks, had a few sips of one bottle of water, and downed a few pretzels.  The books and magazines stayed put - Benadryl Brain makes it difficult to read!  Everything else remained untouched until I unpacked it at home.  Moral of the story:  I haul WAY too much crap with me!  I'll definitely scale back for tomorrow's infusion, but still gotta have some good reads with me:

    
Infusion #2 coming up!

August 7, 2013 - Day Five, Post Infusion

Still no major side effects to speak of.  Did another power walk after work and it was goooooood.

It definitely helps to be in the right frame of mind.  I can't even imagine going through something like this being fearful, timid, distressed.  That's just not in my DNA.  So I'll just continue on the path I'm on, because it works for me!

August 6, 2013 - Day Four, Post-Infusion

No issues at all during the day - still feeling great.  Nighttime, though, was another story.

When I went to bed, I had that little fluttering in my legs that happens before I get leg cramps, but it wasn't bad enough to prevent me from falling asleep.  I conked out hard and was deeeeeeep asleep for about an hour.

Yep, you guessed it:  I shot up out of bed like I'd been jolted with a cattle prod with leg cramps so bad that my freaking feet were just about completely curled up towards my shins (OK, so I exaggerate a little).  The poor dogs were wondering why mommy was limping and shuffling and swearing back and forth in the hallway.

It happened again a couple more times during the night, and I chalked it up to the power walk I took on Monday; you know, maybe I hadn't stretched well enough before or after.  But when I read again the side effects of Rituxan, muscle cramps and/or spasms is one of 'em.

But that's OK.  I'll take muscle cramps over stupid-ass cancer ANY day!

August 5, 2013 - Day Three, Post-Infusion

Damn - no excuse to stay home from work today!  Felt too good and normal.  So it was up at 4:45 AM like usual to have my coffee and snuggle time with the dogs, then off to work for the day.

No brain fog (thankfully), no fever, no body aches, no NOTHING!  Just a normal day in paradise.

After work, I laced up my sneakers and took a fabulous power walk on Shelter Island.  The warm sun, gentle breeze, sailboats on the beautiful bay, and swaying palm trees were the perfect affirmation that LIFE IS GOOD!




This is what post-immunotherapy infusion looks like!

Gearing up for infusion #2 in a couple of days, and keeping fingers and toes crossed that it goes as well as this one did!

August 4, 2013 - Day Two, Post Infusion

Slept 11 hours on Saturday night, but wasn't constantly up peeing and sweating like on Friday night.  Still had mild diarrhea all day, but no fever.

The one thing I DID have, though, was a severe case of brain fog.  I just couldn't shake it - it was like I was just given a big, fresh dose of Benadryl.  I tried to get rid of it by vacuuming and cleaning the house, but alas I would be afflicted with fuzz-brain all day.  I planned on making a yummy homemade Mushroom and Kale Risotto for dinner but just reading the directions on the box of arborio rice was a freaking ordeal!  I mean, how many times does one have to stare at the words "saute garlic" before comprehending what that means!  Geez!

Other than cleaning house and making dinner, I nested in the front bedroom and laid low again all day, and slugged down another two quarts of water.

GO, Rituxan, GO!