Update from Houston

Gerry had the catheter put in and all went well. He was amitted to the MCU (medical care unit) Monday night and treatment began Tuesday morning. He had a total of 7 doses of Interleukin-2. There were two bad nights but he got through them. After the 7 doses and feeling kinda lousy, gaining fluid in his stomach and his platelet count dropping, both Gery and the doctor said, "enough!" At first Gerry felt as if he didn't go the distance, but the dr. was actually pleased that he was able to endure the 7 doses. They were wonderful in MCU and took great care of Gerry. Yesterday, Friday, he slept almost all day long and had a mean headache. They transferred him to a room on the regular Melanoma/Sarcoma unit. It's a private room in the corner of the "pod" so it's nice and quiet (unfortunately, people come in constantly...oops, on just opened the door to take his vital signs, but I shooed her away politely as he is finally sleeping). Just before leaving MCU they found that he had a temperature. He still had the temp today....it had been up to 101.2, then down to 99.8 and now it's up to 100.4 again. They took blood and cultured it to check for bacteria. But the doctor feels that he should be ok tomorrow (Sunday) and if so, he'll be discharged.

I have been spending each day here with Gerry. The hospital, even in MCU allows me to stay as long as I want to, even overnight. But I don't spend the night. I did that for two nights when he was here in April for surgery and I was so exhausted and he got so pissy that I HAD to return to the hotel for some "time out," came back for a few hours and spent the rest of the nights at the hotel. This time, after spending the first 3 nights in the Rotary House and the next 3 at Spring Hill Suites I am back at the Rotary House. The SHS is great and has the shuttle to the Med Ctr, but it's so much easier at the Rotary House where I can walk across the street or thru the skybridge to the Med Ctr. I did enjoy walking back to SHS on Tuesday night - a 2 mile walk but it felt good. The other nights, though, I have stayed late at the hospital and so the convenience of the Rotary House is great.
Today I got to put my lessons on caring for the catheter to use. A nurse came up from Infusion Therapy and watched me flush out and change the dressing on the catheter. It's a subclavian - placed under Gerry's collarbone. You have to be SOOOOOO careful not to touch anything out of the sterile field with your sterile hand and glove. I was only slightly nervous...not of not being able to do it but of hurting Gerry. However, it doesn't hurt at all, just takes a bit of time, but I did it!!!! WOOHOO!!!