Day 7

We're still basking in the warmth of a signed message from Jeff Bridges yesterday! Sara, you are amazing to attempt such a request!!

I didn't get back to posting after yesterday morning. Yesterday's blood results yielded no necessary transfusions. Dad's temperature throughout the day dropped .2 of a degree each time I checked it...so by 10:00 last night, his temp was down to 100.2 so it's definitely going in the right direction. Yesterday was not a great day for him though...other than the fact that it was one day closer to feeling better. Nausea was a problem and the lining of his mouth is showing the effect of the chemo. Everything in his mouth is just sort of swollen and thickening. His speech was slurred a bit because of this. It affected his appetite...which wasn't much except the breakfast...just some yogurt and some apricot nectar for the rest of the day. We did manage to walk 2 times ...1/3 mile in the morning and 1/4 mile in the afternoon. By evening, he was too tired to do another....but that was a good walk for day 6.

He's still on the antibiotic and a saline drip so his dancing partner is here to stay for awhile. He had a fairly good night last night.

Today, when he woke up, he had bitten his tongue during the night (because it was swollen like everything in his mouth) and since his platelets are low, has a blood blister and also on the other side of his mouth is a mouth sore. This is common, too. So he needs to "swish" (use a particular saline mouth wash) more often to help. Until those white cells start producing, it will just be a situation of keeping a watch on it.

He wasn't very hungry for breakfast, but managed to eat some canned peaches and some decaf coffee. We then went down to the treatment center for the usual doctor visit and found out that today he needs a platelet transfusion and a red blood transfusion. The doctor said they were going to fill him up...and Dad asked if they were going to change his tires, too. The doctor keeps saying that Dad is doing very good. He said that day 5-8 are usuallly the worst, but that Dad was doing really good with his walking...and he was totally impressed that Dad ate an omelet yesterday along with grapefruit, OJ, hash browns. The doctor said for day 6 that was amazing...so I don't think he has seen that much.

So right now we are waiting for the blood to arrive. It will take about 4 hours for the red blood and about 1/2 hour for the platelets...so that will pretty much take us up to dinner. This is an example of how fast our days can go. So the plan is, while Dad is getting the transfusions, I'm going to physical therapy for my shoulder for 1/2 hour and then I'll escape and go to a grocery store up the street to get him some different toothpaste, since the one he has now isn't sitting well with him. Since Dad will be getting a treatment and monitored by nurses, I can be relieved of duties for a short time.

The nutritionist came in today and I asked her about alternative ways for Dad to get protein (yes, Sara, I'm onto the "p" word) and she said the kitchen had a protein drink that is not thick like a milk drink, but rather a fruit juice drink. So we'll give that a try. I also asked if there was anything to drink to help lessen the thickening or coating in his mouth and she said she has heard from several patients that hot tea and honey helps...so we'll be trying that late today. She also said that given all that's going on...that Dad looks way better than most patients on day 7...so that was good to hear. The doctor has said it, too, but it's nice to hear it from someone else!

Also, this morning, since it's day 7, Dad got a neupogen shot which will start to boost those white blood cells. It probably won't show up in his blood work for 2-3 days. He will get another shot tomorrow, too, and I'm not sure if it's every day after that...or not. One day at a time.