On Friday January 30th we did another infusion of chemotherapy. The bloodwork was good enough to get the full amount of each of the two drugs, plus of course the hydration bag that includes electrolytes and the anti-nausea drugs. The process from the time of accessing the port to completion and removal of the port access takes about five hours. It seemed a little faster this time, but it was probably in my imagination.
Over this time, I typically sit in a comfortable recliner, although once in a while they put me in a bed. (They assure us that it is all randomly done.) I prefer the chair but the bed is more private if the doctor comes. The recliners are in what they call a pod and there are 4 chairs per pod and eight total pods in the infusion clinic. So there are 30 to 40 people getting infusion at a time counting the beds. I use my smartphone to access the internet looking at the news, read e-mail, take a nap, eat something that we brought or maybe something that Kath gets from the cafeteria upstairs. Kath always accompanies me and sometimes goes to the library or to the pharmacy to get prescription refills.
The infusion nurses are always very careful to verify that the bags of medicine are the ones issued to me by the pharmacy. I repeat my name and birthdate lots of times—every time a bag is changed—and they match my wristband to the barcode on the bag with scanners. I appreciate the thoroughness, but it gets a little annoying sometimes.
As long as the chemo keeps working, this routine will be repeated—two Fridays doing infusion and then two Fridays off. I look forward to the breaks which I am just now starting again. The infusions seem to bring on the "cancer fatigue." I know I have talked about that before, but I probably haven't explained it very well. Here's a definition I found from the Cleveland Clinic:
Fatigue can be confused with tiredness. Everyone gets tired. In fact, it is an expected feeling after certain activities or at the end of the day. Usually, we know why we're tired and a good night's sleep will solve the problem. Fatigue is less precise, less cause-and-effect. Fatigue is a daily lack of energy; an unusual or excessive whole-body tiredness, not relieved by sleep. It can be acute (lasting a month of less) or chronic (lasting from 1 month to 6 months or longer). Fatigue can have a profound negative impact on a person's ability to function and quality of life. Cancer-related fatigue (CRF - sometimes simply called "cancer fatigue") is one of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatments. It is often described as "paralyzing." Usually, it comes on suddenly, does not result from activity or exertion, and is not relieved by rest of sleep. It may not end -- even when treatment is complete.
On Saturday afternoon, we made another trip to the Huntsman Clinic to get a shot. The shot is “neulasta” and helps stimulate the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells. I have been typically on the low side in this blood test and it has reduced the chemo dosage at times, so we’re trying to elevate the white blood cells so I can continue with treatment. So far I don't feel any significant negative side effects from the shot, which is a relief.
The procedure for the shot is short; it took longer to walk from the car to the clinic than it took to take vitals and get the shot. But the insurance company demands that it done at the hospital if they are to pay for this several thousand dollar injection.
Speaking of insurance, I am covered through my New Mexico retirement. I looked at the insurance summary the other day and it paid well over $200K in 2014, so it has been a real blessing through all this testing, surgeries, scanning and chemotherapy. This is not a cheap kind of medical problem, so my advice to all of you is two-fold: take care of your health to prevent all you can, and keep your insurance.
