Happy September!
I’m 3 weeks post infusion and feeling pretty great! It’s been a few weeks of ups and downs in terms of fatigue and strength, but I think that I’m finally getting back on track.
The last round of infusions went very well. It was a whole new experience for me, though!
Due to new hospital policies, two certified chemotherapy nurses must be present for all Rituxan infusions in the hospital versus the infusion center (next door). The infusion also must be done at a much slower rate to reduce the chances of any side effects.
So, I went from having a 3 ½ hour infusion in the Infusion Center to an 8 hour infusion in the in-patient part of the hospital.
I’m 3 weeks post infusion and feeling pretty great! It’s been a few weeks of ups and downs in terms of fatigue and strength, but I think that I’m finally getting back on track.
The last round of infusions went very well. It was a whole new experience for me, though!
Due to new hospital policies, two certified chemotherapy nurses must be present for all Rituxan infusions in the hospital versus the infusion center (next door). The infusion also must be done at a much slower rate to reduce the chances of any side effects.
So, I went from having a 3 ½ hour infusion in the Infusion Center to an 8 hour infusion in the in-patient part of the hospital.
I was also
in my own room for the two infusions, which had their own bathroom (nice when
you have to pee every 45 minutes for the entire infusion) and TV. They also had
these sweet air-beds that adjusted to your body weight.
So instead of getting butt cheek cramps and a sore back from sitting in the Infusion Center recliners (and not being able to do anything but lay flat or stand for the rest of the day), I felt like a million bucks walking out of my infusions and didn’t get sore or achey at all.
My first infusion was a little chaotic. I had no idea that anything other than the location would be different, so I was basically freaking out the entire time and was convinced that my nurse had no idea what he was doing.
The second infusion, my nurses were awesome! They had me order lunch, came in to chat and were just all around excellent. I also was prepared to be there for the day, so the second experience was much more positive.
No blown veins and only a little flushing for 24 hours afterwards, so all in all a very positive round.
I have no idea how it will be come February for my next round, but apparently the whole hospital is going through training for chemo drugs, so things may be different once again.
I’m going to ask my Rheumatologist if it would be okay to do my next 2 rounds at 7 months apart instead of 6, so that my future infusions fall in October and April instead of August and February… so I don’t have to miss out on being active for a month during the time of year that they let us all outside here in Minnesota! 😉
It’s been an incredible summer and I’m constantly in awe of how active I have been able to be. Such an amazing blessing this drug has been for me.
In other news, I am becoming pretty limited with my shoulder and really pretty pumped for my shoulder surgery in 2 weeks. By some magical means I have been able to golf, but that is about all I can do; and golfing is starting to get pretty painful, too. I’m getting excited about being able to use that arm again, pain free!
Dr. Meagher doesn’t think that the immune-suppressants should hinder too much of the healing process, since the surgery will be arthroscopic. I hope that she is right!
Thank you so much for the love and support that you have given me. I feel it during my infusions and I feel it in my heart each time I hit a golf ball, walk my dogs, and on the days that I need a little encouragement.
So instead of getting butt cheek cramps and a sore back from sitting in the Infusion Center recliners (and not being able to do anything but lay flat or stand for the rest of the day), I felt like a million bucks walking out of my infusions and didn’t get sore or achey at all.
My first infusion was a little chaotic. I had no idea that anything other than the location would be different, so I was basically freaking out the entire time and was convinced that my nurse had no idea what he was doing.
The second infusion, my nurses were awesome! They had me order lunch, came in to chat and were just all around excellent. I also was prepared to be there for the day, so the second experience was much more positive.
No blown veins and only a little flushing for 24 hours afterwards, so all in all a very positive round.
I have no idea how it will be come February for my next round, but apparently the whole hospital is going through training for chemo drugs, so things may be different once again.
I’m going to ask my Rheumatologist if it would be okay to do my next 2 rounds at 7 months apart instead of 6, so that my future infusions fall in October and April instead of August and February… so I don’t have to miss out on being active for a month during the time of year that they let us all outside here in Minnesota! 😉
It’s been an incredible summer and I’m constantly in awe of how active I have been able to be. Such an amazing blessing this drug has been for me.
In other news, I am becoming pretty limited with my shoulder and really pretty pumped for my shoulder surgery in 2 weeks. By some magical means I have been able to golf, but that is about all I can do; and golfing is starting to get pretty painful, too. I’m getting excited about being able to use that arm again, pain free!
Dr. Meagher doesn’t think that the immune-suppressants should hinder too much of the healing process, since the surgery will be arthroscopic. I hope that she is right!
Thank you so much for the love and support that you have given me. I feel it during my infusions and I feel it in my heart each time I hit a golf ball, walk my dogs, and on the days that I need a little encouragement.
Feeling healthy this past year has given me a lot of opportunities to reflect on the past 7+ years since my diagnosis. Steadfast and strong every step of the way has been the love and support from my family and friends.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
XO, M
Just checking in to see how shoulder surgery went and how you are in general
ReplyDeleteI just posted an update! Thank you for thinking of me!
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