April 5, 2008

Well, I am still trying to believe that Dr. Lodi and his staff are for real. It all seems too good to be true, so far. Dr. Lodi is extremely intelligent, passionate and caring. He is a Dr. 1st and foremost, but I have never met a doctor who is so accessible to his patients. He is amazing! He explains stuff more than I care about from a medical/science background -- but Mom loves it. :) Yesterday, when I was getting my first IPT (chemo) treatment, he came running in the room and asked the nurse if we had started yet. She said, no, she was about to. He was worried about my hemoglobin counts. They had looked low on the labs from Austin so they pulled more blood the day I got here to check them again. They were even lower. Dr. Lodi didn't want to do the IPT with them low, but he wanted to get going on attacking the cancer, so he and the nurse sat down first and figured out how to do the treatment, adding certain things, and then about an hour after the treatment the nurse was to give me an iron IV and procrit (sp?), which helps the bone marrow create more red blood cells. Then they brought me in today on a Saturday to do another treatment, plus to check my blood again and give me more iron and procrit. I felt bad that someone was having to come in on a Saturday morning and Dr. Lodi said, "Hey, healing is not a 5 day a week job. You will find that I am obsessive compulsive about details and all these kind of things. We have something serious to attack here and we will do what it takes."

The IPT treatment was very interesting. As they lowered my blood sugar, they checked my blood every 5 minutes. Then they administered 3 kinds of chemotherapy. There is one kind that will probably make my hair thin, but I shouldn't lose it all (that means I will probably cut my hair off so it isn't quite so obvious -- bye, bye long hair *sigh*). By then, I was feeling pretty loopy. They gave me dextrose to bring back up my blood sugar, then a whole syringe of something that starts with an "f" (I can't remember the name) that is an anti-fungal drug, then a syringe of diflucan for anti-yeast, then a whole IV bag (smallish) with calcium, magnesium, bromain, selenium, potassium, zinc and a few others. About a half hour after the treatment, I got so sleepy I could NOT keep my eyes open, so I dozed on and off for about 30 minutes. Then I got the iron and the procrit and I was still sleepy, but not loopy, just a little wobbly -- thank goodness for my cane because I think I felt like a drunk person would be like.

Dr. Lodi gave me a prescription for Fentanyl in a patch for pain. I am in love with it! I slept from midnight until 5:30 am!!!!! I did wake up a few times in between there just changing position in bed, but not even enough to check the clock. That is the most sleep I have had at one time in at least 18 months -- probably more. Then I slept again until 6:00 and then until 6:30, when I was pretty wide awake, still being a lot on Texas time, still. But I didn't get up even once in that whole time, which is a miracle. I usually have to get up to deal with the pain or just stretch my leg or pace a little. I can't wait to see if every night can be this great. I hope so. Then, by the time Rick comes next weekend, he might see a rested wife! What a treat for him!

General Conference was great today. I am so grateful for the gospel and for the strength I have received from the Savior. I have truly felt the Savior hold me and love me.

I am grateful for all the prayers, thoughts, love and support I have received from so many people. I feel it. It helps and strengthens me. I can be braver and less anxious. I feel more peaceful and I look forward to continuing treatments. I am going to get well!!!!!!!!!