Brett had a pulmonary function test after #7 and it was determined that his lungs still look great and there is no toxicity caused from the Bleomycin! Good news! He also had a chest x-ray and that looks good also. So the treatment continues as normal!
Bleomycin can cause irreversible lung toxicity and cause shortness-of-breath and other breathing problems. Brett was coughing and giving them concern - so they suspended the Bleomycin for one treatment, but he's back on it since all tests are normal.We did notice that Brett was having a harder time coming back from chemo.. and it turns out it's more because of dehydration. So after the last 2 chemo treatments, we returned on the Friday so he could get IV fluids. It seems to help a lot! It's another trip to the hospital but so worth it.
Chemo #8: When counting treatments - the "chemo world" call them cycles. And Brett has 2 treatments per cycle. So, for instance, what we would call treatment #8 is actually Cycle 4, Day 1. Well, with all the numbers - it's easy to lose count of where we're at! So I had Brett put up the fingers for the number of treatment - we thought #7. It was actually #8 when I thought about it! So here are the funny #7 pictures which are actually chemo #8!
Kariann has been Brett's nurse for many of his treatments!
Everyone is SO nice at the Day Hospital!
Chemo #9 (which really WAS #9 - haha) went really well also. Actually Brett feels SO good the week before chemo, it makes it hard to go. He stays up crazy hours and goes out with friends every night and eats everything in the house. It's all in anticipation of not feeling good, I guess.
The IV fluids after #8 was a success - so we went back again after #9. The rebound was the best ever! Chemo was on Wednesday (always every other Wednesday).. and he was still pretty icky on Thursday and Friday, but Saturday he started to eat a little and he was really feeling much better on Sunday. I was gone for the weekend, but left Eric and the boys with all the meat/onions/seasonings in a CrockPot liner in the fridge to make Italian Beef. So Sunday morning - they just had to put the liner in the CrockPot and then add some water and they were set for later! Brett actually felt pretty good on Sunday and called me to find out how to know if it was done. He sounded really really good! So it's all set for the next 3 treatments to get fluids the Friday after chemo.
Kariann trying to get a "blood return" because with 2 of the chemo drugs - if it infiltrates, the drugs can cause the surrounding tissue to die, so they have to make sure there is a good flow right where it belongs! It does seem a bit jarring (even now) that things that are so toxic are going into his blood.
He does have some side effects - but nothing too major, thank goodness. Light-headedness, fatigue (major and minor), and a couple other things... but so far, so good.
Something that happened when he went into the Day Hospital to get fluids on that Friday was a woman was yelling from her room, "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" and she was crying. It really brings it home how horrible cancer really is... and how treatments affect people and what everyone goes through. And how blessed we are that things are going well.
We also have a nurse manager call from the insurance company to be sure we are getting the coverage we need and to double-check to be sure things aren't being rejected, etc. So far - they have been fantastic (believe it or not!)... and she asked if Brett had been into the ER for any reason or had been sick... and when I said "no" she said, 'Wow! That is excellent news!"
Brett really is the most easy-going patient and really thoughtful and sweet. I wish I could take away the discomfort, pain and all the other side effects he struggles with!
The prayers and thoughts and encouraging words are amazing!
