Now It Begins

Oh, my....that is wonderful news. And I'm so glad you took the dogs to the kennel. It does help to not have that to face with the trip home. I have one dog on four meds, one on two and one on one. It takes a meds sheet to leave a note for my dog sitter.

Remember.....keep washing washing washing. And have you had your flu shot? He won't get one, but you should.

That's all the nagging from Iowa for now.

Stephany in Iowa

Oops. Meant to say in Paragraph 1 that there were 'waits with those', not waists. These days, I don't have a waist!

Stephany,
You are so right. On our first trip to consult with the oncologist, everything went smoothly and quickly. Yesterday's trip was so much longer, especially because it was the first of the chemo treatments. Seats in the waiting rooms were filled, but even with waiting, things weren't too bad. Then, because it was the first chemo administration, we had a discussion with the chemo nurse, then a pharmacist. And there were waist with those, too. In actuality, the chemo took longer than we had been told.

Just before leaving, we packed our bags 'just in case' and drove the dogs to the vets to stay overnight (the little one is on four different meds herself). Even though we drove home last night and arrived very late, we were glad that we had allowed ourselves the option of not having to go home 'because we had to.'

The chemo went very smoothly, so far nothing to report on side effects. I am sure there will be some, but thanks to all the attention yesterday, we know what to watch for.

And today, my husband, who lost twenty five pounds following the surgery and subsequent infection, is back up to his pre-surgery weight! Good thing, because he was skinny to begin with, and the weight loss really hurt.

and being owned by three dogs, I know exactly what you mean! Just keep in mind that the three hour infusion does not include all the stuff you don't think about....waiting for paperwork, waiting for the hydration, waiting for an empty chair, waiting for a nurse, etc. etc. etc.

Good luck with your first visit...you'll meet lots of great people!

Stephany in Iowa

Thanks for your tips. We will surely use them.

We are packing an overnight bag just in case getting back tonight becomes impractical. The IV meds will only take three hours, they tell us, so I think the daytrip is do-able. It's not that we don't want to stay over, but we have two dogs that need care. Our wonderful friends will walk them today, and will take them to our vet's for boarding if necessary, but you know how it is--when you're owned by a dog

More later, on our return.

Judy

Judy, Cynthia is giving you great advice. Also, the advice about staying over, if necessary, is good. Be sure and ask the area hotels for their hospital rate....you may get a discount.

There were several times that we closed down the chemo unit, so it can be a long day.

Get used to washing your hands A LOT. Wash them before fixing breakfast. Wash them after ordering in a restaurant. Wash them after being ANYWHERE outside the home. Wash, wash, wash. That will help immensely.

Stephany in Iowa