Fri. 02-12-10

OK, so if you can follow a Chemo Brained individual, I got up on Thursday and my left arm, where they removed my bicep and sarcoma, was about twice the size that it should have been. I also noticed a rash on my right arm and on my lower trunk area. With diabetes I occasionally would get a rash when I was high, so I just figured it was that. As the day advanced I started the shaking and chills once again and my temperature went up to 102. Sharon called the Dr. and he said take two aspirin and call him in the morning. The next day,Friday, I was sick as S+++ and my left arm was now three times its normal size. My temperature was over 101 so we decided to go to the Dr's office. When we got there Dr. Adami was not there so we talked to a Nurse Practitioner about my condition. She examined me and asked a boat load of questions and then finally said, you need to see a Dr. Twenty minutes or so later I see another Dr. that I have never met before, Dr. Epstein. He looks over my chart and her notes and looks at me and says, Your going to the Hospital now. I love that bed side manor, get your ass to the hospital boy, whats the matter with you!!!



By the time I reach the hospital I truly believe that I might be on deaths door step. I've never felt this way and with all the junk about the whit and red cells and let's risk it anyway, bull s+++, I figured we gambled and I lost big time. I then ask to have Fr. Tony meet me at the hospital and give me the Prayer for the sick to find out he's ON his way to Indy and will not be back until tomorrow sometime. So now not only am I going to die, I'm not going to have that Priest thing at my bed side. Me scared?, f+++ no, what do I have to be scare about. So now they come in and start hanging IV's all over and start my port working once again. They asked if I wanted any pain pills or anything, and I accepted right now. Even though they have all this medicine flowing into me and I'm supposed to be tired and sleepy, I'm wide awake. I guess I want to be wide awake if I was going to die. I stayed that way for the next 48 hours. I might fall asleep for a few minutes, but never more than an hour.



On Saturday, Fr. Tony finally showed up to give me the Prayer for the sick. I felt much better in a spiritual way, but no better physically. They finally decided late Saturday to give me Zaynix, or something like that, for your nerves and to calm you down. I finally fell asleep Sat. night at around 9:30 and sleep until 6am.



I watched the Super Bowl some what, I remember the first quarter was good, but I then lost interest and slept of and on the rest of the day. I was awake for the end of the game. I really like the Colts, but if they have to be beaten, I'm glad it was the Saints.

All I really remember about the day was how badly I felt and how terrible the rash was becoming. I had a rash from head to toe. I itched like a mad man but knew I could not scratch it or break the skin at all. I took a bunch of different pills and went to sleep.

First thing Monday I insisted on seeing a specialist on skin problems or diseases. There happened to be a Contagious diseases specialist in the hospital so he came in to see me first thing Monday. I told him I believed that my problem was that I was allergic to the antibiotic they were giving me. After a full examination and discussion, he agreed with me and decided to change the antibiotic. I was still very itchy and inflamed the rest of Monday, but by Tuesday it was starting to subside. They had started to give me an anti itch medicine and I was able to once again get some sleep.

I must say that the nurses at Park View were excellent. Three of them knew Tom and Cate, so I had to be good and they had to be on their best also. Since the only real problem I had the last couple of days was the rash, it was very easy to take care of me and I was just eating and sleeping while killing time watching TV. Sharon was a saint during all this. She would do her Essen House duties and keep the place flowing and then check in with me to see when she should be there to see any of the doctors who needed to talk to both of us. As you all know by now,"THEY PRACTICE MEDICINE AND IF YOU LET THEM THEY WILL PRACTICE ON YOU" I think I'll make a sign that says TPMAIYLTTWPOY.

As of Thursday it looks like Dr. So, the contagious disease specialist is in charge of when I will receive Chemo again.

So this brings you up to today 2-12-10. In ten days Sharon and I will be married 47 years. Just three more years to reach that 50 mark.

Today by the way I got my infusion at 9:30 and out by 10:30. I then sat in the DMV until noon trying to get a handicapped tag. If you don't have one around these hospitals you can get a parking spot for blocks.

I'll do my best from now on to write each day and keep it light and funny. Anything has to be better than last week. I'm still shooting for the quarterly meeting of the Carlsbad Inn Board, so I hope to see all of you that I can at that time, 03-18-10 to 03-21-10