Yesterday I began my new chemo routine with the pills at breakfast and dinner as well as my first infusion with oxiliplatin. The infusion begins with 30 minutes of calcium and magnesium supplements (delivered via IV) followed by 2 hours of oxiliplatin and then another 30 of calcium/magnesium. I was about 5 minutes from being disconnected and sent home when I became suddenly and violently ill. Nurses, techs and PAs gathered round. They pulled the privacy curtains and hooked me up to a heart monitor as well as a blood pressure cuff and some oxygen up the nose for good measure. After I puked a few times and they injected 50 mg of Benadryl into my IV I started to fell a little better. It took a while to get back to breathing normally but eventually it passed and I was sent on my way. What happens now is unknown. My doctor (who was not present during the infusion) knows what happened and so will be following up with a new game plan. That may mean pre-dosing with Benadryl or it may mean switching to something else entirely. Not sure yet...
The other thing that's a bummer is the extreme sensitivity to cold. I was warned that even putting my arm in the fridge would be painful and while it's not quite that bad it's bad enough that touching something in the fridge feels like getting instant frostbite. Forget about drinking anything colder than room temp (my stomach seizes up and I puke) which really sucks because I have been drinking iced tea and iced coffee like crazy this summer. Luckily, this side effect should be gone within about 72 hours of infusion so if I stay on this routine it will mean three or so days of wearing socks (because the bathroom tile is way too cold for bare feet) every three weeks. I don't think I could bear the prospect of this side effect being permanent as it means quite a drop in my quality of life so I try to stay focused on the fact that I can have cold food and beverages again soon.
There was one bright spot over these past few days. We had a lovely visit with Dave's sister Debbie and her gentleman friend, Dana. Well, I slept through quite a bit of it but did get to spend some time with them.
Thanks for reading - take care!
Ugh. Sorry to hear this. I had to be pre-dosed on Benadryl and have a half-speed drip to be able to tolerate one of my chemo drugs. No fun, but whatever, it got me there. Eyes on the prize, I know you can do it.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry the first round was an awful one! My sister had Oxaliplatin with her chemo and said the first few times she forgot & sipped a cold beverage, it felt like chewing on aluminum foil. Not as bad as the electric shock she was warned about, but foil doesn't sound like a great snack to me. Hope your new doc can find a better remedy soon!
ReplyDeleteTake care!
xoxoxo
Should we send battery-powered socks?! I'm sending a message to the Iced Tea gods so we can get you back on the iced tea bus. I'm glad you're still blogging!
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to let you both know I was thinking of you. With the recent heat wave, maybe you have recovered enough to enjoy a cold drink? Ice, sweet ice, I say. But you know how I feel about that drink accoutrement.
ReplyDeleteHang in there David. I'm really sorry you have to go through this but want you to know that I'm thinking about you and sending positive energy.
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