chemo cycle 2 of 8

We've been at the hospital for about 3 hours now. Chris will be starting cycle 2 of 8. This is his first round of the B treatment so we'll see how he'll react to it. They haven't started it yet because they don't mix it until he's here and then it takes about 4 hours to mix it. He'll need to get his picc line cleaned and redressed and an x-ray done to make sure the line is still placed to his heart. He is hoping to get the picc line taken out and a hickman placed instead while he's here. The picc line is in his upper right arm and a hickman would be in his chest.

Here's some information on what Schedule B is:

"Schedule B (cycles 2, 4, 6, 8) On the first day of treatment you will be given methotrexate continuously for 24 hours and this is repeated on the next day. Cytarabine is given twice (12 hourly) on the second day and also on the third day. You can usually go home if you are well enough and your methotrexate levels are satisfactory (this is checked with a blood test)."

He'll probably get out of the hospital on Thursday.

It's a bit of a reality check coming back here. His roommate, Jr, from his last stay here is his roommate again. Jr wasn't supposed to be here but back at home. Jr is in his 40's and has a rare cancer that I don't know the name of. He had chemo in his blood and brain. He was discharged after 9 doses of chemo in 6 days and apparently blacked out at his home not long after getting out. His dad found him the next day and he was taken by ambulance back to Wichita (he lives in Medicine Lodge I think) and was in intensive care for the last week. He came back to the oncology floor last night. He looks, quite frankly, like death. He has a knot on his head from when he blacked out and a larger bump/bubble on his head where they put chemo into his brain.

So seeing him again and in such a wretched state was an immediate reminder of the seriousness of this situation.

This cycle of hospital treatment for 3-4 days, hospital visits every day or so for the next 10 days, outpatient spinal chemo on day 7, and then no visits if he is well enough until it starts all over again makes for a bumpy ride. He'll start feeling better and we'll get used to being at home instead of the dr or hospital. Then we come back today and are confronted with the serious condition of another patient who isn't getting better. We're still trying to adjust to this new life.