Hi,
It's a tad late but it's been a productive day. We recouped from the greeting of the new year & got Leenie's room taken apart & put back together with clean linen, etc. Dad Phil was working.
Jennie visited Leenie with the now ubiquitous DQ chocolate shake. She had a good portion of it & they had a relaxing visit.
Brian, Paul & I waited until around 4 to visit. Leenie was getting ready for dinner & reported that she had had the Platinum Chemo in the morning, tolerating it well! She was disappointed that she was not discharged today but is hopeful for tomorrow.
Doc Phil will be @ work; I'll be with the Peanut from 8 until 5:30; Paul & Brian will either take her home or lunch there, leaving in time for their 3 pm flight to Boston; if discharge is in the afternoon, her Godson Philip will get her there & settled and if discharge is late afternoon , Phil Sr. & I will get her around 6.
She looks far more energetic and is pleased to report that the chemo was tolerated well thus far & the meds that increase her appetite & decrease nausea are working. She's gained about 6 lbs since Monday.
Sooo, Dr. Ryan will make the discharge decision, relying on Dr. Cross' recommendations. All of her meds are oral and her mediport will be sealed until needed to administer Chemo as an outpatient next week. (That is our sincere hope & prayer)
I'll keep you in the loop, even if she spends the weekend in the hospital, the big news is that she actually started her course of treatment and did it without any negative side effects.
Keep her in your prayers & scan in photos with your comments. She really enjoyed going through the pictures of the bridal shower she gave on Devonshire for Charlene Costa in 1969.

Till the next "hurdle" day, 01/02/09. . . .
Lorane

Mom's Initial Chemo Regimen

Happy New Year Everyone.

In case anyone wanted a little more info on the the chemo that Mom's receiving, I've included the specific combinations below. If you click on the name of the drug, you'll be linked to a website describing the drug, it's side effects and some other information about it. Also, if you have any questions or comments (no matter how small) that you'd like one of us to ask Mom's doctors/nurses directly, please post them here.

I've also changed the blog format in hopes of making it easier on the eyes. If anyone has any other suggestions for improving it, please don't be shy about commenting!

Thanks,

~BDH

Wednesday: Gemcitabine (a.k.a: Gemzar)
Thursday: Carboplatin