So I did get out late on Monday. Nice to be home. My portable meds were dropped off around 10:30 and the nurse showed up at 11 to hook me up. I have to wear the portable IV thingy till Tuesday. My arm is still killing me from all the IV's and blood draws. It wouldn't be fun unless they missed a couple of veins so my arm could swell up. Went for another blood test on Friday for the infection. Should find out in a couple of days if it's getting better. Saw my oncologist on Wed. blood tests are about the same. Haven't gotten all the results back from the biopsy's done when I had my colonoscopy. I see that doctor early in March. With everything that's happened my oncologist has put me off till at least my next visit with him, March 7th. On March 8th I will start my next part of chemo. It's a maintenance drug that will be done by IV once every 3 months for the next 2 years. This should keep my levels the same for a while and keep the lymphoma in check.

Funny story from the week in MSH (Markham Stouffville Hospital) emergency.  After one night in emerg, we were moved up to a room on the 3rd floor. We sure didn't miss the crazies running around in the middle of the night looking for the next fix. Even though I am covered for a semi private room we found ourselves in a private room. Great, but no bed for Colleen this time. More on that story later.....
Once we were settled, we were visited by Trish, Paula and Diana. We sat and chatted for a while. With the noise in the hall getting louder we closed one of the two doors I had (two doors??? for a hospital room??? keep reading)  About a half hour after we closed the door, my MALE night nurse came in to hook me up and get my vitals. Just before he came in, we all noticed he was in the room between my 2 doors getting dressed into some kinda smock with mask and gloves. When he finally came in, he lost his ever loving mind. "I'm in QUARANTINE!!!!!!" What are we doing in here without gowns and masks...." ARE WE NUTS"?????!!!! NO FOOD in the room is allowed out or it will be thrown out. So much for the swiss chalet from Colleen B. As he rushed everyone out, other than myself, to get their gear on. Trish and Paula left. They had bee there for a while now and thought it was a good time to get going. Diana stuck around and came back in with Colleen all dressed up ready to protect them from me or me from them. We're really not sure. After a long discussion, we didn't really care. Diana eventually left as did Colleen. Every nurse (mostly my MALE nurse) that came in after that was wearing 'the gear'. Not til the next day when the day shift cam in that we figured everything out.

Someone left the sign on the door (that we closed) from the person before me. They were under quarantine. To all my friends who came to visit and everyone in emerg. I'm not contagious, I am fine. Somewhat, anyway.

me in emerg

Di and Col in 'their gear'

blog soon, vic

Haven’t blogged in a long time, but now is as good as any. Sit back and enjoy the extended version.

As you know my chemo finished early in Dec. I felt good for a couple of weeks but then early in Jan. I had some weird episode. I was at work  (Thurs.) when all of a sudden I got really cold (but it wasn’t) and started shaking uncontrollably.  Colleen had to pick me up (with the help of Claus) and put me straight to bed. Cranked the electric blanket, took a bunch of advil and slept for the next 12-15 hrs. Once the fever broke I had a wicked headache I couldn’t shake for 2 days. I was very weak and tired.

Probably should have gone to the doctor but didn’t. Was back at work Monday and all was ok till Thurs. – again -  one week to the day, it happened again. All the same; cold, shakes, sweats, bed warmth, headache, weak, tired. Stupid me didn’t go to the doctor and was back at work Monday again.

You won’t believe what happened next. I’ll skip to the 4^th episode cause the 3^rd was the same as the first two. After the 3^rd I stayed home Monday to recoup. I made it through the week and thought I was home free until Sat. when the shakes happened again. I feel so bad that it happened when I was at Myah’s hockey practice and she had to see me shake as we headed home. So this time Colleen made an appointment with my family doctor for Monday. She spoke to my oncologist and they suggested I see him to rule out any infection and begin to explore what was going on…and would later see if it had to do with my lymphoma.  First things first…

Saw my doc, he did a full physical and took a bunch of blood. I felt fine as I usually do on Monday, but he said he would call if they found anything in my blood. While we waited for the blood culture to grow my doc called Monday night and said that my white blood cells were very high. On Jan. 7^th it was 11 and now it’s 52. Normal is between 9-12. Not sure what to make of it, we wait. On Tuesday I was at work and my doc called and told me to go to PMH emergency asap. “they will be better equipped to handle me.”  Knowing that PMH doesn’t have an emergency, I called my oncologist to see if I should go to Toronto Western or Toronto General. He said just go to the nearest emerg ASAP!!!!

Freaking out I drove to Markham Stouffville where Colleen met me in emerg. As it turns out, my blood came back and it started growing a bacteria. If left too long (remember I’ve stupidly have had it for 4 weeks now) you can get very sick and, well, you know. So we spent 2 nights in emerg in our own little suite. We were then moved to a room up stairs. The whole time I had to keep leaving the room to go and do tests. I’ve done more tests in the last 5 days than I’ve done in the last 2 years. CT scan of my abdomen and head.….Nothing. Colleen could have told them that. Ultrasound of my liver and heart, full body bone scan, another ultrasound of my liver, Nothing so far.  Blood work daily.  That’s a good sign but they need to find out where the infection is hiding.

It’s the weekend and I’m still here. I’m leaving Monday morning at 6am for Southlake Hospital (Newmarket) for my final test. It’s another test on my heart, forgot what it’s called but they go down my throat to get a closer look. They are trying to see if the infection has rested on any of the valves…….That would be bad.

Came back from the test, and all is good. Wasn’t the best test I had but also wasn’t the worst. So, looks like I will be getting out tonight. I will have my final dose of meds (that I’ve been getting every 4 hrs) at 6pm. Wait till it’s in and get discharged. I will keep doing the meds over the next 2 weeks with a portable IV, again every 4 hours. I will see my oncologist on Wed. for the usual blood test and meet. Should be interesting to see what he says about this whole thing.

Thanks for all the love, prayers and help for Colleen, the kids and myself. It sure made this difficult time a lot easier.

Although, a scary time tons of funny stories from the last week. I will post snippets later.

(view from the patient transport to Southlake)

blog soon

vic