Loretta had to be admitted into the UW hospital late Monday (25 March) due to a lack of white blood cells.  She had a fever Monday afternoon that was above the threshold for calling the Oncologist.  They wanted her to go to the clinic and have her white cells counted.  They found both of them and they were sick.  To prevent her from getting something really bad while she had no defenses, they wanted her to go to the hospital immediately to have IV delivered antibiotics and to be monitored.

That is where she is now.  David and I took her (David was going to take her in an ambulance, we took the 4Runner) and she sent us home.  She has her own room and says that the docs that she has seen and the nurses are all great.  We had to leave prior to the docs showing up.

She has had a couple of chest X-rays today (I guess it is still there) and they are actually using the port that is still surrounded by technicolor bruising.  When we left she didn’t have a fever so maybe we’ll be able to take her home tomorrow.  I will go back in the morning to sit with her and bug the nurses.  I’m sure she will write something up tomorrow when I give her her Chromebook back.

Once again, several wonderful people stepped up to make sure that Loretta was properly taken care of.  I can’t thank you all enough!

Yup, in the hospital. Turns out that when they say they are going to kill off your white blood cells they actually mean it. So she is here getting IV antibiotics. More details to come.

Just thought I would let you know that I am feeling ok right now.  I just yawn a lot.  And I mean a lot!  It is kinda crazy how yawny I am.  It gets a bit embarrassing as I don’t want people to think they are boring me.  I just can’t help myself.  I guess I can say that I will have fatigue as a side effect of chemo!  I should have counted my yawns.  There will be hundreds of thousands of them over the next seven months.  So if you see me around town or at the gym or at home and I am yawning, don’t mistake it for boredom.  I’m probably having a great time doing whatever it is I am doing.

Yesterday was a long, long day.  But yet again, I can’t say enough about every person we encountered at SCCA.  From my nurse for the port placement, to the MUGA scan tech, to the chemo nurse, everyone was kind and patient and informative.  SCCA personnel try to make your experience there as painless (physically and emotionally) as possible.

The port is pretty ugly right now due to bruising.  I find bruising to be fascinating in terms of how and where things bruise.  Of course, it is more fascinating when it is not on your own body.  Also, this is one time that being in shape without a lot of fat is not ideal.  Since the port sits in subcutaneous tissue it is better to have more fat and less muscle – in this case only!  And it is not a reason to maintain more fat and less muscle!   But at least I have the port so I don’t have to be stuck so many times!

Today I was very tired but managed to walk to and from PT.  About one mile round trip!  Wow!  I then rested the rest of the day and am still resting as I write.  Had a very yummy dinner delivered.  I am hoping to have a lot more energy tomorrow!

I took eight bracelets with me yesterday.  This first round of chemo will last eight weeks.  I put them on while having chemo.  When we got home, I took the first one off!  I put it in a basket that holds the good thoughts and wishes papers from the FOL get together.  Only 52 more to go!

After 14+ hours, we are headed home.  Loretta did really well.  She has her new parts (port) and a load of chemicals that will last her two weeks.  Everyone at SCCA was great, but I still don’t recommend going there unless you have to.

Loretta is going to feel sore and maybe a little tired tomorrow but that should get better as she heals from the port surgery.

That’s one down.  15 chemo to go.

We have gotten into the “Infusion Center” which is a rabbit warren of little rooms filled with people who are paying lots of money to be poisoned in very particular ways that were dreamed up by people who went to school for far too long.  A big Thank You to all of them.

We have been in the room for 90 minutes and all Loretta has gotten is stuff to protect her from the effects of the stuff they are about to give her.  Most of it is anti-nausea medications that try to counteract the effect of having your entire gut attacked by the chemotherapy drugs.  All of this is accompanied by gallons of salt water which makes the bathroom a very popular place.  Imagine a line of people, some with hair, all pushing a groaning, beeping, clanking IV tree with multiple bags, syringes and electrical devices.

Actually, it isn’t like that at all except for the bathroom being very popular, the IV trees with the groaning, beeping and clanking electronics hanging with multiple bags and syringes of clear and brightly colored fluids and some of the people do, indeed, have hair.  It isn’t an unpleasant place and there are plenty of bathrooms.  AND, there is a room called the “Nutrition Center” that has a lot of fun snacks and drinks for the patients.  You gotta love a place with a free kitchen.  I’m thinking about swiping and cheese stick or two.

Anyway, now it’s time for the real chemo.  Bright red so you know to stay away from it.  The people who have to handle it always wear gloves and cover themselves with plastic.  Once they have double- and triple-checked that the right poison is in place for the right person, they pump it straight into Loretta’s heart.  It’s all very exciting.

We scored a couple of lounge chairs on the third floor.  They give you a pager so you know when your table is ready.

Doing the MUGA.  First, they take out some blood and make it radioactive.  Then they put it back in and take pictures.  They take three angles with an exposure time of about 5 minutes each.  I’m sure there is a lot of post processing on the images because what is on the screen it’s pretty ugly:

That lump is Loretta’s heart.