Ed received his first treatment of Avastin last Wednesday. The nurse told me he was to arrive at 9:20 a.m., and by 9:40 a.m., he would be hooked up to his I.V. and begin his Avastin/chemo drug infusion. My brother (B2) elected to take Ed to his first treatment, as he is currently on a (very) flexible work schedule (as in laid off and working whenever he can).
Therefore; I do not know what happened except for the bits of info I have gotten third hand, from my Mom, and bits I have gotten from Ed himself. Remember, Ed's tumor has affected his speech and it is very difficult for him to express himself and difficult to understand what he does manage to get out. For whatever reasons, Ed's I.V. didn't get started until about ten minutes till eleven that morning. He and my brother didn't leave the cancer center until about 4:30 pm. So I take it the chemo treatment takes approximately five hours to complete.
Somewhere in between, B2 went to get them lunch which they ate at the center, and my brother had a run-in with a nurse who apparently wasn't looking where she was going and nearly plowed through my dad and brother while they were making a trip to the restroom. A trip to the restroom involves pushing my dad in a wheelchair and pulling the I.V. tower along behind.
My brother has many gifts, skills, and attractive attributes. Patience is not one of them. According to rumor he had words with the nurse. I am glad I was not present.
I think for the most part, everyone at the cancer center is very focused on the patient and tries hard to be kind, caring, informative and helpful. Dr. Splichal is especially kind and knowledgeable. The nurses seem to truly care and take pains to be gentle and soft spoken. Even the front desk clerk and the check-out clerks are usually very pleasant and sweet. I have run into one nurse (aid???) that I didn't find to be very friendly or approachable, but I've not seen him at the office but once. I think it takes a very special person to work with people who are very sick and/or dieing. I think these persons have to have something inside them that allows them to be knowledgeable, but also sympathetic and supportive. They have to have a little bit of angel inside them to be able to have patience with the cancer patient and their families. I thank God for these doctors, nurses, aids, clerks, and anyone my dad or us come in contact with.
So far, Ed has not had any side effects from his treatment. He receives medications along with his chemo and Avastin to combat nausea and vomiting. His normal side effects of having cancer, a brain tumor, and all his medications have not gotten worse or better. He was informed that 10 - 12 after his treatment he could begin having diarrhea. Ed and my mom have an arsenal of foods and medications on hand to combat it if it happens. Today was the 7th day after his treatment. No diarrhea yet.
Ed also had a follow up visit with his neurologist this week. The neurosurgeon suggested he have a follow-up with the neurologist to see if his seizure medications could be tweaked, as he is still having seizures...usually about two weeks apart, and usually having at least two about an hour or so apart. On a scale of 1 - 10 , 1 being a very weak seizure and 10 being a full-on, grand Mal seizure, I'd say his are somewhere in the middle...maybe a 5 or 6. The neurosurgeon kept his medications the same, but upped the dosage of one and changed the schedule a bit on when to take them. Hopefully, this will eliminate or reduce the number and severity of his seizures.
Ed will go for his second chemo/Avastin IV infusion next Wednesday, June 17, I think. My sister-in-law (B1's wife) will take him on that visit. Hopefully, that visit will go a little smoother. I'll let you know. Ed continues to have his good sense of humor. This past weekend he showed me the thick growth of hair on his legs, arms, hands and fingers, caused by the steroids he takes. He told me he has a job. "What???" I asked. He said yes, he would be on T.V., in a commercial. I am still looking at him with my eyes narrowed. Yes, he said, I am doing a Geico commercial. No caveman suit needed.
Therefore; I do not know what happened except for the bits of info I have gotten third hand, from my Mom, and bits I have gotten from Ed himself. Remember, Ed's tumor has affected his speech and it is very difficult for him to express himself and difficult to understand what he does manage to get out. For whatever reasons, Ed's I.V. didn't get started until about ten minutes till eleven that morning. He and my brother didn't leave the cancer center until about 4:30 pm. So I take it the chemo treatment takes approximately five hours to complete.
Somewhere in between, B2 went to get them lunch which they ate at the center, and my brother had a run-in with a nurse who apparently wasn't looking where she was going and nearly plowed through my dad and brother while they were making a trip to the restroom. A trip to the restroom involves pushing my dad in a wheelchair and pulling the I.V. tower along behind.
My brother has many gifts, skills, and attractive attributes. Patience is not one of them. According to rumor he had words with the nurse. I am glad I was not present.
I think for the most part, everyone at the cancer center is very focused on the patient and tries hard to be kind, caring, informative and helpful. Dr. Splichal is especially kind and knowledgeable. The nurses seem to truly care and take pains to be gentle and soft spoken. Even the front desk clerk and the check-out clerks are usually very pleasant and sweet. I have run into one nurse (aid???) that I didn't find to be very friendly or approachable, but I've not seen him at the office but once. I think it takes a very special person to work with people who are very sick and/or dieing. I think these persons have to have something inside them that allows them to be knowledgeable, but also sympathetic and supportive. They have to have a little bit of angel inside them to be able to have patience with the cancer patient and their families. I thank God for these doctors, nurses, aids, clerks, and anyone my dad or us come in contact with.
So far, Ed has not had any side effects from his treatment. He receives medications along with his chemo and Avastin to combat nausea and vomiting. His normal side effects of having cancer, a brain tumor, and all his medications have not gotten worse or better. He was informed that 10 - 12 after his treatment he could begin having diarrhea. Ed and my mom have an arsenal of foods and medications on hand to combat it if it happens. Today was the 7th day after his treatment. No diarrhea yet.
Ed also had a follow up visit with his neurologist this week. The neurosurgeon suggested he have a follow-up with the neurologist to see if his seizure medications could be tweaked, as he is still having seizures...usually about two weeks apart, and usually having at least two about an hour or so apart. On a scale of 1 - 10 , 1 being a very weak seizure and 10 being a full-on, grand Mal seizure, I'd say his are somewhere in the middle...maybe a 5 or 6. The neurosurgeon kept his medications the same, but upped the dosage of one and changed the schedule a bit on when to take them. Hopefully, this will eliminate or reduce the number and severity of his seizures.
Ed will go for his second chemo/Avastin IV infusion next Wednesday, June 17, I think. My sister-in-law (B1's wife) will take him on that visit. Hopefully, that visit will go a little smoother. I'll let you know. Ed continues to have his good sense of humor. This past weekend he showed me the thick growth of hair on his legs, arms, hands and fingers, caused by the steroids he takes. He told me he has a job. "What???" I asked. He said yes, he would be on T.V., in a commercial. I am still looking at him with my eyes narrowed. Yes, he said, I am doing a Geico commercial. No caveman suit needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment