Friends, Baseball, & Chemistry

Nearly Perfect Day

This Sunday was quite a nice day for Rene because the following events occurred;

• Friends came to visit
• She got a huge stuffed dog called "Chemo" that will go with her to hospital
• Red Sox defeated the Yankees
• Ate her favorite pancakes from Soma for breakfast
• Braves lost in 11 innings against the Rockies (they won the series still)
• The perfect pair of jeans for her "Chemo Phase" wardrobe were found by a friend
• She had a craving for butter pecan ice cream and I got it immediately (stupid I am not!)
• The Phoenix Suns defeated the LA Lakers
  

Pending Cocktails

This upcoming round of chemo will be repeated for her 5th and 7th rounds. She gets to enjoy the following medicines for the first 5 to 7 days during her 21 day stay in the hospital. All will be administrated via an IV through her port!

• Cyclophosphamide - days 1 through 5
  
• Methotrexate - day 1 and 2
  
• Leucovorin - the same day she gets her methotrexate fix
  
• Vincristine - day 1 only
• Doxorubicin - days 4 & 5
  
• Dexamethasone - days 1 through 5, this one is pill form only!
• By the 10th day of her stay, she will reach a low point from her treatment which requires;
• Antibiotics for her immune system
• low red and white blood counts
• high fever, i.e. 100.x or greater
• stabilization for the remainder in the hospital...this will be drill until she is done with all her chemo treatments!
  

These 6 medicines are capable of having Rene experience the following side effects while in the hospital.

• Nausea and vomiting
• Hair loss
• Poor appetite
• Mouth sores (canker sores)
• Swelling of her feet and ankles
• Mood swings
• Irritability
  
• Low blood counts
• Burning sensations in her urine
• Anxiety
  

She will also have Inthrathecal chemotherapy each time she goes in for her treatment and she is NOT happy that this will occur every time! So it is good thing that she is not having to experience this alone!