Well, there was no good humor today. Todd had a horrible day yesterday. He was sick to his stomach, nauseous, and extremely tired. He had difficulty with hot and cold flashes, where he couldn't get warm or couldn't cool down. He drank his fluids, but found eating difficult. He barely got out of bed, and when he did, it was only to sit in a chair. I was worried; we didn't want this for five more days!
He was actually angry that he was so sick this morning. He was hoping to at least be functional. I had a hard time getting him up and out of bed to go to his chemo appointment, which was at 8:30 a.m. this morning instead of 8:00 a.m.
He said, "I can't believe anyone could go to work while doing these chemotherapy treatments." He was glad he had put in to take time off work during this time.
He is supposed to try to eat before the appointment, but I could barely get him to eat a few saltine crackers with water and then some hot tea. Later that morning he had a bagel with a little cream cheese and for lunch a fruit smoothie.
Before starting his treatment today, the nurse asked how he was and when we explained the nausea, diarrhea, and extreme fatigue, she discussed talking to the doctor about prescribing him some anti-nausea medication. Luckily, today was the day they gave him Aloxi, an IV administered anti-nausea drug, into his IV 30 minutes before his treatment. Apparently, they only give this medication to him every other day because it is supposed to stay in his system for a couple of days. So, that means they gave it to him on Monday but not yesterday. What a difference this made!
Today, he felt more like his normal self. He got around, was able to keep a hair cut appointment, and drive. There was no way he could have done any of that yesterday. While he is still suffering from an upset stomach, it is manageable. He did take a nap after his treatment too, which helped give him some energy before doing anything else.
Tomorrow, we will be asking for more anti-nausea mediation! If they can't give him more Aloxi, then we will ask for some other kind of prescription anti-nausea to help get him through the day. We don't want to have another "down" day like yesterday.
To learn more about Aloxi:
http://www.aloxi.com/
Talked with Todd this evening. I was more that happy that the Aloxi medication did it's job. We had the guy talk about guy stuff and I reassured Todd that Donna and I would always be there for him and Kim and the girls. Because of my health issues and near death experiences, I with God and family have been blessed to extend my later years of life with my family and friends. Jesus is everywhere, He never sleeps, He see and hears all. So I'll be talking to Him again tonight in prayer for Todd and family. Daddy Darrell
ReplyDeletePraying for you all, Kimberley. Please let me know if there is anything you need.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Todd.
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ReplyDeleteTodd you're on a jounery that will be challening, but you can make it with your faith in God.
ReplyDeleteSix treatments done one more to go! Hang tough.
ReplyDeleteYou da man.
Todd people say 7 is a lucky number.
ReplyDeleteAnd now you have 7 under your belt.
7 more steps on you way to sucess.