Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Ups and Downs

I was so nervous about getting an IV that I took two ativans before I got here. However, I really lucked out because my nurse, Okee, is a 17-year IV Therapist veteran and knew how to start an IV. She was so good, in fact, that I asked Mike (because my glasses were off) if she had poked me to draw blood or did she start my IV. He asked what the difference was (one hurts more). She mentioned something about putting a lock on it so I could head downstairs for a chest x-ray. That's when I realized she had started my IV, and I hadn't even really noticed! Once I put my glasses back on I was able to confirm. God bless Okee. I will ask for her next time I need an IV started in the day hospital. Okee has been my nurse in the past, but only on my pit stop days and I hadn't realized her hidden talent.

I stayed in the day hospital for a couple of hours so they could start my antibiotics quickly and bring my fever down. I'm now in my room here and it's not bad, but the bathroom is a little far from my bed and I have to plan my trips there a little more carefully. Neither of us slept well last night. Mike was too hot because the room freezing when we arrived and they turned the AC down too much for him. I kept having high fevers and they kept bringing me ice packs to cool down. I was worn out this morning and tried to go back to sleep after Mike left for work, but the nurse kept coming in to give me saline or antibiotics. Around 10am my team came in to update me on my status, but after they left I felt like I didn't know anything. I did recommend that they give me the antibiotics again on my next round because it really kept the skitters away, which helped keep me more hydrated. I broked out in hives a couple of times from the antibiotics, but it wasn't that bad and I'll take the hives for the skitters anyday! I don't know if I NADIRed today because they didn't use that term. Nurse Practioner Karen McGuinn always tells me if I NADIRed, but she wasn't here today. I've been trying to get a copy of my report from the nurse all day and when I tried again from my night nurse, I found out that the computer is out of service for about two hours. I guess I'll ask again tomorrow.

I felt pretty blah all day today with no energy. I tried to read a book, but found it hard to concentrate so I watched tv instead. A cxouple of hours ago my back and legs really started to ache so I asked for a double dose of oxycodone. It took a while for it to kick in, but it finally did and now I feel so much more energetic. Mike says I'm acting like I do when I take prednisone because I'm talking fast and loud. I was chatting a lot with my new night nurse and felt like I couldn't stop talking.

Mike brought back a chocolate coconut brownie from his Balducci's exercusion with my brother.
This brownie was amazing and I know this because I actually ate half of it. I doubt I would have been handle the chocolatey richness before I had taken the oxycodone, but I think the oxycodone gave me an appetite and was able to thorougly enjoy every bite of the brownie's rich, gooey luciosness. Mmmmmmmmm, good! I also ate my dinner and finished two glasses of ice tea. Thank goodness for the oxycodone buzz tonight.

Our day here is winding down and we watched some pretty bad stuff on tv because there's nothing else on tonight. We watched "So You Think You Can Dance" and then "Don't Forget the Lyrics." There's nothing else on. Mike's watching the Tour de France as I write this. All of my favorite tv show are on summer hiatus and it's been difficult finding something to watch, especially since I'm home all day. I'm not a Martha Stewart fan, but I tend to flip between her show and Rachael Ray's. The repeats have been so bad that I once saw Joey Fatone and Apollo Anton Ono on "Ellen" when I was waiting for phlebotomy, and when I had to wait in phlebotomy again two or three weeks later, the same show was on tv! However, I draw my line at the soaps and refuse to get caught up in any soap opera. I just can't do it because the same characters are having the same problems they were having when I watched back in high school.

It's almost 11pm and I'm off to bed now. I hope we sleep better tonight.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay, I know your NADIR days suck. But does NADIR in chemo mean something more than just a regular old nadir? In all caps it looks technical and scary. Like NORAD or NAFTA.

I know it's late for me to be asking. But up until now, I've just been nodding my head up and down, but I really don't know.

Your chemo illiterate friend,
Julie B.

Tri Mike said...

Julie B,

NADIR - means when Angela has her lowest blood counts. More specifically we look at her ANC (absolute neutrophils) which are the mature white blood cells that fight off infections....i.e her low point in the Chemo cycle. It is during this time we need to be extra sensitive cleaniness and good hygene. Hope this helps everyone. But NADIR really means to Angela the at worst for that cycle is behind her and she should to beging to fell better.

Michael

victory4angela said...

But is is all caps like NASCAR or just nadir? I don't know!

Anonymous said...

Cool. Got it. Sounds nasty enough to be in all caps (or be a Green Party Presidential candidate, depending on your point of view). Hope your feeling lots better and have left NADIR behind for this week.

Julie B.

Anonymous said...

I'm not aware of any special meaning for nadir as an acronym. It's just a fancy word meaning something is at its lowest point (as opposed to the zenith which is the highest point).

If we put some thought to it though, we can probably come up with something for NADIR to mean:

For example: "Need Another Donut In Rockville" sounds good. (After all, Angela does need to put some weight back on!)