Today is Jared's sixth straight day of chemotherapy. Yesterday, was so far the hardest day for Jared and for me to watch him feeling so icky. The chemo just exhausts him, he is so tired and just wants to sleep, or just close his eyes. He has been nauseated, but we have been keeping up on all of his different medications to keep it under control, so some nausea is better then the alternative. Yesterday, Jared finished his last day of melphalan and he is now done eating ice chips and popsicles. His lips are still a little purple from his several popsicles he ate yesterday :).
Jared is so cute sleeping through all of his chemo.
This morning we left for Seattle Cancer Care Alliance an hour early so we could stop by starbucks:) we drove up to the drive through which is usually super duper long and their was only two cars ahead of us; I was so excited, then we got on the freeway and the traffic was not bad at all and we were shocked. Then I turned on the radio and the usual funny morning talk show was not on, I was so confused......Then the waiting room for blood draw was fairly empty. That’s when we finally realized its Saturday! I guess all of our days are starting to blend together!
Luckily, because it is Saturday they were able to take us back for Jared’s Chemo Infusion a little early. We are lucky because on Thursday when Jared started his first infusion chemo we had a really nice nurse named Kelly, she is very easy to talk to and very kind. Sometimes when its really busy you have a couple nurses change while you are in chemo and they are usually so busy they don’t stop and talk to you very much besides the basics. So it was a very nice change to have Kelly who set down and asked all about Jared's cancer story and wanted to know about us and school and just get to know us a little because we were about to spend a LONG day with her. Yesterday we came back and went into a different room and Kelly had switched with another nurse so she could be with us, and again today she did the same thing. It is fun to have the same nurse that you know cares about Jared and is willing to go above and beyond for him to feel comfortable. Jared has to do gauze dressing for the next few days over his Hickman catheter, and yesterday someone came and taught me how to do it at home. this morning it was starting to fall off, but I left all my supplies at home. Kelly got me all the stuff and let me change the whole thing in his room and use her supplies cart! I felt so official! It was fun because they usually would never let you do this, they let you do it at home but not around them. I think its because they are scared you are doing it at home in the first place, but out of sight out of mindJ Anyways, it’s just the small things in this process like good nurses that can just really make are super long pretty boring days better!
I was excited about the dressing change....
Cleaning Jared's Line.
Final product.
Jared says he is feeling ok, besides just being incredibly tired, and pretty nauseous. Things are starting to not sound as good and not taste as good to eat, but he still has been able to get a pretty normal amount of food down. Right now he is having his first dose of Thiotepa, this takes a couple hours and then he will have 4 to 5 hours of hydration after, tomorrow is the same thing. One interesting fact about thiotepa is that because he is getting such a high does, it can cause some skin irritation because it actually excretes through your skin through sweat. Because of this Jared has to take at least 4 showers a day for the next 4 days to prevent any irritation.
Today I was looking at some websites as we sit and wait and one site has a bible verse a day and I thought this one was perfect for today....
Today's Promise:
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 9:23, 10:27 KJV
Jared is still very positive and upbeat through this whole process. It amazes me how he handles his fears and all the really truly hard things he is going through! We love an amazing God that his helping us through all of this, and I know with everything in me that this would not be as "easy" as it has been so far without him. Jared has had a very rough past couple years, but the way he has handled it both physically and mentally is truly amazing! Keep him in your prayers as he has his last two days of chemotherapy and transplant on Tuesday!
Beautiful view this morning at SCCA
We have you in our hearts especially on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Aunt Emily & Uncle Oon