Linda and I went to Hopkins this morning. It was very nice to see my sister-in-lawAnn who picked us up at the train station and took us over to the hospital. At 9:00 we had an hour and half orientation with three other patients each with a family member by a nurse Marilyn who was excellent and who I'll probably add to my list of lectures I've attended. (I've compiled these lecture/book talk lists with brief summaries for about 13 years and average 40 to 50 a year.) By the way, in 1992 I saw Al Gore speak about his first book at Borders with no secret service or entourage about 2 weeks before he was picked to run for VP.) Anyway, Marilyn gave us lots of information and written materials. I expect Linda to do much better than me on the test although I have done pretty well in the distant past with minimal studying. Marilyn gave us information on how to respond or what would be required if there are side effects and also how to treat many other reactions from chemo. The main response was to call them day or night. Despite what sounds very negative, Marilyn was a good presenter with a sense of humor.
Then my team nurse Liam took me into his chemo room, which has space for about 8 to 10 chemo patients, and I had my blood taken for lab tests and an IV inserted. We had to wait an hour or so for the lab results to come back. (I had originally been scheduled for the lab tests at 8:30 and the orientation at 8:45 but because the lab waiting room was so crowded, they sent me to the orienation first.) There are lab tests before each chemo session to see what my vital and maybe not so vital signs are (many different things.) A few of my things were a little high but not enough to prevent chemo, e.g. my billie rubin count was high at 1.3 but when we mentioned that pre-surgery it was up to 21, Liam thought it was actually a good sign. In the future we will be able to have the lab tests at Penn the day before and faxed down to JH so that the chemo won't have to be delayed.
Linda and I went for a lunch break at the carryout cafe on the first floor while waiting for the lab results and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to get Nathan's hot dogs and Utz potato chips.
Then back to the IV with Liam where he gave me some pre-chemo drugs and then the G in GTX. Then a masseuse Ykoho (?) Jones, who talked incessantly, redundantly, and unconvincingly about what to do regarding chemo, gave Linda a brief shoulder massage. I finished the G and Liam started the T. Then I sat in a chair while Jones started a message of my shoulders which I didn't think much of. All of a sudden I started feeling a little nauseous and then dizzy and mentioned this. Unbeknownst to me but knownst to Linda and everyone else, my face turned bright red. Also excruciating pain began in my lower back. Linda quickly got Liam and several others to come over and help me onto the bed on which I had started the chemo and they quickly gave me two anti-histamines and tried to get me to put my legs out straight which was hard for me to do with the back pain. After a few minutes the pain eased and then went away and the the other symptoms had left even sooner. Liam said I had a back muscle spasm that occurs in about 10 per cent of the patients getting T and generally never recurs. Liam checked with Dr. Diaz by phone and Diaz said not to continue today and maybe the next time they would use a stronger amount of the pre-chemo drugs. Linda kept asking for a doctor to come to see me but the only one who came was a young woman who didn't seem to know anything. As to the massage, I can assure you it did not have a happy ending.
By the way, do any of you know the unbeknownst/knownst movie reference. Answer below.
After a little while we got drug and other information from Liam and then returned to Philly. And I picked up 3 more prescriptions from Rite Aid.
As someone who rarely used legal and never used illegal drugs, I'm becoming my own pharmacy. We expect to go back to JH for my second treatment next Thursday but at a later time.
Last night the Phillies won in 19 innings with an infielder pitching a scoreless top of the 19th. And the answer is Mel Brook's Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
Elkan
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