2002 Story Set
| October 1, 2002 Thursday was Chemo Day. How often I have started a story off with those words! This was special however, because he has had low counts for three weeks and we are a bit freaked out. If his counts are still low----they will have to do a bone marrow test. I don't want to go there! We drove in to the hospital in the little Prius, since he is partial to it and the truck needs 45 feet to turn. The little Prius turns tighter, much. Off we went, arriving at nearly 9Am in spite of all my efforts. Last night my son had come to my room (I am ALWAYS tired at night and crash early) and cuddled (watching Law & Order). This told me he was nervous. I was not calm either. Not after hearing the repair bill on the van I wasn't. They stuck us in a room (Clinic D) and went to access him. She missed! He went up the wall. I was biting my tongue. They had to do a second needle. Hat first one had merrily put a bubble of flushing solution under his skin - I had about screamed at them to stop when I saw it. (I do try not to get too rambunctious). He was not happy. I was not happy. The nurse was chagrined. The second time, they got in. OK - blood drawn he is on a bolis and we wait. I have pulled out the end of the exam table (he is tall) but there are no arms. He sleeps. I go for my hot cafˇ mocha. It takes, literally, hours for the treatment room to be available. During this, the counts come back - and he is back up and needs no bone marrow test. We also see Tyler, the baby who was my son's roommate when he was diagnosed in 2000. Tyler is done ands getting his port removed. They are looking for someone who can access the port. What is with this? In two plus years, this remains the most difficult thing to find a nurse to do. They are simply not skilled! Not trained! Or avoiding the issue! Lucky Tyler. My son has chemo until April 2003 and the every-three-month-spinal-test will remain in force for a year after that. They cannot go any further ahead since it will depend on how he is doing. Team in Training is asking if my son can come out and play. Cute! I told them - after he get over the spinal. I am regarded as his "social secretary". I sat (in a hard plastic chair - just lovely for my back!) and propped up my feet (in another one) and waited and waited. He slept on. At last we could wake him up and stagger him across the hall to the treatment room. This is tricky as I have been reading for so long that my eyes are not refocusing very quickly. This happens. I end up blurry-eyed - literally - for several minutes. Like about 20! Remembering the crowded door mess from before, they had him back to the door (great - let the doctor get whacked!) and we were crowded into the alley between the two beds. After a bit of running around (stepstool, pillows, adjusting height table) and getting him to sit straight then curl over, the doctor goes in. I know the nurses would rather do their job and hold him - but he and I PREFER that I do. HE wants Mommy near. Mommy NEEDS to touch him. I also have to use my hip to wedge the table from moving (and letting him slide forward). And I stand on the foot rest (one foot) to keep it from slipping. He is heavy. They have given him some stuff (Verced - 3 units, whatever they were) and he is loopy almost at once. The doctor goes in with her 5" needle - he jumped (his head snapped up) and wham - she was in!) One shot! GOOD! Fastest they have done that in living memory! After they get their spinal fluid, he lays down (on his side) and slips back to sleep. I settle into another plastic chair, my rolling bag as a footrest. Eventually Igo for a salad and bring him a croissant for when he wakens. I also have a bottle of Starbucks real coffee - Lite Mocha. By 4PM, we have him up, I have his drugs for the week, and we can go home. He perks up enough when back in the car to program the Prius to track us home - the pizza slice as he calls it, showing our progress over the bridge, the car beeping and speaking all the way. I am getting used to the GPS display - it was very distracting at first. And I can now set the radio stations. Good. That is more important than you think when you drive nearly 80 miles a day to and from work. He has me make a deliberate wrong turn - and the chatty car is silent, until we pull up to the house when it calmly announces that we have arrived at our destination. (You can come in about five different ways to get to our house at the back of a square. I am not certain if it knew this or not.) Dinner is whatever I can put my hands on since I am about ready to keel over. (Stress, rushing, sitting, driving.) It is CSI night. Good. Because I am too tired to even hold up a book. (Nearly read a whole one sitting at the hospital.) |
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