I got a message from Dad wondering if I everything was okay 'cause he hadn't heard anything in a while. I have realized that it's been one of those periods in life where 1 day quickly turns into two weeks. I keep thinking I need to update and then I procrastinate and here we are now.
To date I have done 3 Rituxen treatments. I posted about the fun times had with round 1. Round 2 and 3 have gone well. I have a new arch nemesis named Ben. Benadryl to be exact. I get super hammered on 25 mg of Benadryl.
Round 2 - Thursday May 24, 2018
I get put at the end of the "hall" this time. I have never been that far in to the bowels of the Infusion Lab. When I was there receiving blood products during chemo therapy last time I was extremely immuno suppressed, so I always got a private room to keep me away from the germs. Now I just get to hang with all the peeps. Good times.
There is quite a line up of chairs along the right side. To my left I had Mr. Old Man. To my right there was a doorless cubby with a mystery person snoring away. {That's what we do...snore away.. I'm glad we all get knocked out in here} The gentleman to the left was not to far from me. If both of us extended our arms and reached we could give each other a high five. {There was a curtain between us other wise I would have totally initiated that!}
I've decided to draw a diagram. Otherwise the rest of this won't be funny. I have never actually counted how many chairs and rooms there are so I just made all this up.
*This particular area that I am in has lots of line of site issues. With the doors open I am literally able to see into the eyes of every person that was in the rooms around me. Nothing awkward about that! Not that it would matter for long. Remember Ben.
I could NOT stay awake for the life of me! I asked the nurse in the beginning how long this infusion was going to take. I was previously told that the first round would be 7 hours because of how slow they had to let it drip in. {And...you know...the convulsions} The second and each following treatment should only take 3 hours. She was hesitant and said lets just see how it goes and wouldn't promise me anything. {spoiler alert: it took 7 hours! Boo!}
After the Benadryl was administered I fell asleep. I didn't even hear her come and up the drip rate. I really new I was sleeping hard because my neighbor, Mr. Old Man was gone and there was a lady next to me now. Getting up to powder your nose is also super fun on Benadryl.
How do I know I was sleeping hard? Mr. Old Man was really Mr. Funny Old Man. He was chatting it up with the nurses and telling jokes and stories. You know... "Old Man" stuff. {Was that "Geriatrically" insensitive?} He did not come in quiet so I know he didn't leave quiet. Plus when you get shown in there is lots of stuff that is happening with the LPN/CPN doing vitals and the RN getting things going. Also, we all come there a lot. When you start having to go to infusion it's a party. You've got to say hello to all the nurses as they pass by. It's a positive social atmosphere. So even my new neighbor had to have made quite a bit of noise coming in. I slept through it ALL! One minute Mr is there and than the next it's Mrs. Uhhhh?????
It was very disconcerting sleeping that hard in a public space and we aren't done yet! Next a guy comes in across the hall. Again I can make eye contact with him because he is sitting on the bed DIRECTLY across from me. As I mentioned before there is a lot of conversation between him and the nurse and while this is going on I start to fade out again. Who knows how long it is before I woke up again. But when I do there is a little boy staring at me from the doorway. WHERE DID THE GUY GO! WHO IS THIS KID STARING AT ME!??? His mom was sitting in the chair beyond where I could see her and he was just looking around.
I just have to say I hate the feeling of being awake on Benadryl. You're supposed to be able to hop in bed and go to sleep. I rarely take it, but when I do, it's right before bed when I have really bad allergies. Mostly because I know if there is something the Benadryl is working at counteracting it hits me hard.
After 7 unexpectedly hours I finally got to run away! That experience was just over all creepy.
Also I had to track down a way to get Abby home from school. The hospital make your phone go into the twilight zone sometimes. Luckily Don, Heidi and Grandpa Ken saved the day again. Abby made it home!
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