Sorry . . . but blogging like this helps me cope.
Today's topic is: How important it is to stay on schedule with the anti-nausea meds right after chemo day.
Yesterday my poor Terry seemed to have a bout with what they call "chemo brain". Seemed like he was having trouble finding words and staying focused, yesterday being the day after hit #6. He's had a couple of times when he struggled for a day or two afterward; but yesterday was rough for him. I could tell he was a little more "shaky" and was struggling remembering things and putting thoughts together (nothing major, just little things); except it was the first time he got his anti-nausea medication schedule confused. Nausea hasn't really been an issue for him through all of this but that was largely due to us following the every 8 hour, for three days after instructions to a tee. Yesterday he forgot to take his Zofran mid-day, thinking he didn't have to take it until evening. BOY, did he find out that was a mistake he won't make again this weekend. I could tell something was wrong when I talked to him just before he left work. He said he didn't feel good; so, I asked him if he took his Zofran at 2:00 and, at first, he sounded confused and said he didn't think he had to take it until he was ready to come home. I reminded him that, no, he was to take one every 8 hours and if he took it at 6:00 a.m., he needed to take it again at 2:00. He struggled to do that math in his head (first time he's gotten so mixed up about it), and said, yes, he didn't take it as he still had it in his pocket. Ooooops. So, we decided he should have one of those ginger Queezy candies he doesn't like, come home and I would give him his breakthrough anti-nausea pill so he could then take the big-guns (Zofran) on schedule at 10:00 . . . . By the time he got home, yes, he realized just how important it is for a chemo patient to stay on schedule with those meds. We worked it out okay, without him getting terribly sick . . . just a little queezy . . . and he was able to still eat dinner and felt better after eating one of those candies and taking a Lorazepam. Thank goodness! Would have hated to see him suffer with nausea, this being his last go-round with it all.
Today, though, seems like the fatigue has hit him harder and earlier than the last 5 times. Plus, he's really, really "flushed" this afternoon and this morning. No fever . . . just really red in the face. And his ears are bright red.
We'll see how he does. We're both going to stay home this next week to care for one another; which, I believe, we've both earned.
More later . . . he just woke up from his nap.
