Hyper CVAD A Chemo Course Number 1

Almost done with cycle 1 of Hyper CVAD A!  I came in on Sunday night and will be leaving tonight.  I hope.  I think?  I wasn't supposed to be heading out until tomorrow morning but they're upping the speed of the chemo to get me out by 6pm.  Oh wait, make that 8pm.  Oh wait, probably more like 10, but hopefully not tomorrow.  Kind of funny, but it seems like this is how it always goes!

Room with a view!  I have supposedly the best room on floor 5, with the window view.  The only thing that would make it better would be if it were private, but I'm on my second roomie already.  

Coolest thing about this visit so far??  Ashleigh Booth from high school came to visit!  She lives only an hour away as a nanny!  Isn't that crazy?  Two Providence girls ending up living so close together out here on the East Coast and we didn't even know it until quite recently when her dad was talking to Jake at work.  Ashleigh is awesome, she came and kept me company for a bit and even brought presents for the kids!  She was going to come back out tonight but since I'll (hopefully) be discharged we had to cancel that idea.

The nurses were asking how we knew each other and thought we were best friends with how well we were getting along.  There's something to be said about growing up in the same community I guess!

My first roomie Maryannne and her husband.  She is a Lymphoma fighter as well and was such a sweet,
thoughtful roommate.  She's wearing the lime green as the Lymphoma color!
I had to give her a "Life is Precious" bracelet to match :)

Adam came to visit both Monday and Tuesday when he also brought the kids.  The sad part about the kids coming is they can't come back into my room but I can head out to the visitor's lounge to see them.  They were really cute- brought me cards, a poster, some Wendy's, and two balloons.  I thought it was so sweet that Evan picked out a white wedding bells balloon for me and Mykelle picked out the Spiderman balloon because I like super heros :)  They didn't stay long because they were getting cranky and needed to get to bed but it was nice to seem them.  

Mykelle has had a hard time with me being away this week, though we talk on Skype and I've tried to reassure her I'll be home soon.  She loves using the blanket Andrea Turley Over made for me last year and was upset when she saw me taking it with me to the hospital.  I had her hug it and kiss it and put her love into it so I'd have her close to me during the week.  Then she was willing to part with it :)  She also drew me a picture to tape up with her and me picking flowers outside the house and sitting by flowers inside the house.  She has a sweet heart.  She did say something quite hurtful to Adam though when she left last night... She said she wished Adam was the one staying in the hospital and I was the one going home!!  So innocent!  

The Hyper CVAD chemo hasn't been too terrible, though I've only received two of the three main drugs involved.  Cytoxin is given 6 times, 12 hours apart and I'm on my last dose of that right now.  Zofran really helps keep the nausea at bay, but causes huge headaches.  I will be getting two pushes at 6pm (meaning injections into the IV rather than a pump) of Adriamycin and Vincristine.  The "D" in the "CVAD" is Dexamethasone.  I've also been getting Mesna in the IV to protect my bladder.  I'll be sent home with 5 or 6 prescriptions, including Neupogen shots again that I get to give myself!  It's funny how scared I was to give myself the shots the first time, and now I have no reservations.  

My nurses have been pretty good, aside from having difficulties getting my IVs in.  I've been able to eat relatively well and haven't blown up like a balloon from the hydration, though my feet and face are looking slightly puffy.  I don't want to get my hopes up since I still have two more drugs to go, but I've been feeling pretty decent considering the potency of these drugs!  

The biggest problem I've had... trying to sleep with distractions of my latest roomie.  She is super nice, but having a lot of problems that smell... and make loud noises... and she has to have a nurse with her at all times so there's a lot of talking and complaining.  Plus, she's confused and it has caused a couple of problems.  She got mad at her nurse for sneezing!  Saying she heard a knock, but the nurse said no, it was just a sneeze.  Then my roomie yelled at her saying she knows what a sneeze sounds like and would have said "God bless you" had she heard a sneeze!  Hmmm... Glad I'm not taking what she's taking! 

I'll update again in a few days to let you know how the recovery from this chemo goes!  I will be coming back in for Hyper CVAD A cycle 2 in 17 days before restaging.  If it's going well (and it's expected to) I'll continue with Hyper CVAD B cycle 1.  

Keep the prayers coming our way!  Lots of love!