Sitting...

I am sitting in the ICU at MDAnderson Medical Center in Houston TX. Gerry has been sleeping for 2 1/2 hours. We got here Sunday night, Monday morning he had his chest x-ray (to make sure the port is still in place....and, it is), bloodwork and dr. appointment. We had lunch at Jason's Deli and were going to go to a movie...but the movie didn't start for over an hour so he elected to return to the hotel to wait for his admission to the hospital (they admit him after 7 PM). Once upstairs they hooked him to his IVs...the nursing staff is wonderful here. They didn't even balk when I turned the bed and moved the chair to accommodate my TV watching hubby. I stayed with him until around 10:30 last night and then walked back to my room in the Rotary House (hotel). I was up at 6 AM as Gerry likes me here by 7 so I can see the dr, hear what they hae to say, etc. I did get out around noon, had some lunch and went to Target to get him pjs. The Rotary House has a free shuttle that goes within a 3 mile radius, which includes Target, and then they dropped me off right at the Medical Center.

The first dose of Interleukin-2 was given around 9 AM. Gerry slept from 11:30 until 3 PM. He was a little light headed within the first hour of the treatment. After he slept he took about 20 minutes to perk up, and he steadily felt better (not great, but better) as time went on. The usual start to this treatment is to give it every 8 hours. The last time (3 weeks ago) Gerry took a dose every 8 hours for 5 doses and the last two were given at 12 hour intervals. He had gotten sick after the third dose that round. So this time he swore he was going to insist on getting the doses every 12 hrs. He kept saying, "They said there is no proof that more is better, " - which is true, but in his mind, by giving him the doses every 8 hours he thinks that the drs want him to take 7 or more doses. This is NOT the case. I tried to explain it to him that they give it to him every 8 hours until they feel that his body cannot do that anymore...even if it's after 3 or 4 doses. And if he gets the doses spread out at 12 hr intervals, he will fill up with that much more fluid since it's over a longer period of time and will take that much longer to lose it (at least, that's what the physician's assistant explained to me). He was NOT too happy with me..thinks I am on THEIR side. I swear, it's like dealing with a little kid. I know he is scared, frustrated that he has to go through this (with no guarantees) and since he got sick the last time, the anticipation is scary too. He did get to eat a decent dinner (which is good since he did not eat a thing since breakfast) - mostly pasta with a little butter/cheese and a little taste of apple pie. Then he worked on the computer for a bit (isn't it great....they have wireless here for our laptop) and got groggy. He told me to go back to the hotel at 6:30 PM and I was about to, but figured that I had better stay. So he's still asleep and I am glad I stayed. He woke once with chills so I was here to cover him with 3 blankets. The night shift nurse came in but I was able to keep her from waking him for temperature or anything else, and she was wonderful - she came to change the IV bags and did so ever so quietly. Meanwhile, I watched the episode of Desperate Housewives that I missed on Sunday. I can' t read cause the lights are out (I knew I should have brought my new little book light). There isn't much on tv that is interesting either, tho I might watch the rerun of last week's Grey's Anatomy. Hopefully Gerry will sleep through most of the discomfort, and then I can leave around 10:30 again.