Mobilization Chemo

On Monday morning Nico was admitted to the 16th floor of the Prentice Pavilion of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The day started out with more blood draws and a general health check up. A IV line was placed into a vein on his right wrist. We had to wait for lab results.

Around 2pm the nurse started the infusions: Mesna to protect his bladder from damage, Zofran to prevent nausea, Lasix to make sure he pees a lot (to flush out his bladder) and Cyclophosphamide (or Cytoxan, Chemo drug) plus saline for hydration. 

Shortly after he started to pee already and from there on he had to go almost every 15 minutes. He was getting more and more exhausted. But eventually the Lasix was wearing off for a while. He developed signs of what is known as Wasabi nose ( unpleasant tingling in the nose). It resolved instantly after the nurse slowed down the speed of the infusion. As the afternoon progressed, he became weaker and weaker, but he always said he is feeling alright. The nausea medication worked its magic and he never had to throw up.

What a champ!

Around 6pm the Cyclophasphamide infusion was over, yeah! He had to continue with saline hydration. Mesna and Lasix were added every 8h until next morning. 

I became somewhat worried, he looked very frail and his hands and legs stopped working. I suggested to order dinner at that time. Although, he claimed that he has no appetite, he agreed to a Cheeseburger, mashed potatoes, green beans and a fruit cup (for me). 

By the time his food arrived, he started to perk up again. He ate all the food on the tray, including my fruit cup. So much for no appetite...

He became more alert after he had some food. He skyped with his sister and watched TV. By 10pm I made my way back to the hotel. I was exhausted.

As I came back in the morning he looked still pale. He reassured me that he feels great and he had already had his breakfast. He told me, he got at least 3h of undisturbed sleep during the night.

By 8:30am Dr. Burt and his staff came by for a short visit. We had to wait for his last IV drip to finish and then he was to be discharged. He ordered mashed potatoes ( best ever!) and gravy for lunch and send me to the cafeteria for a chocolate bar. 

By 12:30 his IV had finished. The discharge nurse gave us instructions for the days ahead and we could leave as soon as we were ready. I was kind of skeptical if Nico was able to ride his scooter. As it turned out, he could do it without a problem.

We called for a Taxi and were at the hotel 5 minutes later. Now he is sleeping since a couple of hours....