Treatment Day 2

Tuesday is coming to an end. It wasn't too long ago that I walked into school saying, "Happy Hump Day! We've made it halfway through the week!" Tomorrow that saying is going to have a whole new meaning. It's been another long day. There is a lot more sitting than doing. Last night, I ended my blog awaiting the dreadful 10 o'clock treatment. As I'm learning through this process, life is unexpected. It doesn't always happen as you've planned. Chris got a slight fever. To our chagrin, we found out he'd have to skip the dose. Chris and I have a strong faith in God, and as most know, so does our Italian family. It was time for me to take out my Rosary, wrap it around my wrist and set to praying. On a side note, the wrist wrapping comes from my lovely, very religious, Italian grandmother. She prays the Rosary daily at 3:00, but I digress. I also set to making sure Chris drank as much water as possible. I was determined to get the fever to break. And break it did! While we weren't up all night sick from toxic drugs, we were up every hour on the hour using the bathroom! We were back on track. Our day began at sunrise with a dose of IL2. The side effects were a little more severe, as we knew they would be. The rigors have appeared to be a consistent nightmare. Words will not be able to describe these awful, uncontrollable shakes. However, with the morning dose, Demerol put them and Chris to bed quite quickly. To sum it up, the morning dose was pretty uneventful. Some shakes, some sweats, a nap, and we were good to go. The time ticked slowly waiting for the next dose, which we knew we'd probably get. All vitals pointed to Go. And came it did. The tremors began about 45 minutes after the drug emptied into Chris' chest. They began small, but progressed to a point that was unimaginable. Our fabulous nurse Jim, administered Demerol the moment Chris mentioned he was beginning to tremble. Unfortunately, it took a good 30 minutes for the Demerol to actually work. That half an hour was the longest of my life. The most amazing part of the grueling ordeal was the focus and fight I saw in my husband. He was determined not to allow the muscle spasms to take control of him. I was proud of the man I married six months ago, but I'm bursting with pride today. Tuesday will continue here on Five West as the day turns into night. We will wait to see if the doctor will give Chris his 10 o'clock dose. Please say a prayer for us as you climb into bed. Pray that we will continue to have the strength to get through this week. Pray that in the end, this will all have been worth it. xo, Teresa