Weekend Interrupted

I haven't blogged in a few days. It has been busy and I have been away from the computer.  Friday Jimmy had his checkup at the center. It was cold out, we were 15 minutes late so we took a cab. Still we had to wait before being seen. Dr. Horwitz was out of town but we met with Peggy, our favorite nurse practitioner. Jimmy had blood work, vitals, the usual questions on how he is feeling. Most of his blood counts looked good except his platelets which were only 36. As I mentioned before platelets help the blood clot. He has to be extremely careful not to cut himself or even knock or bump himself because any bruising can cause internal bleeding. Everything else looked pretty good. He will now have a full week off from all chemo so hopefully this will allow his body to recover before it starts all over. His stomach has been upset and his appetite is down but all in all he tolerated the first round of treatment.

After the clinic visit we stopped to buy some wine and munchies and went back to get the apartment tidied up for Debby and Tom's arrival. They got in NYC and to their hotel by 2:30. The Vamoose bus from Lorton to the city is an inexpensive, convenient way to travel. I am thinking at some point I will take it home to change out our winter clothes for spring clothes. I'm not sure when because the timing has to be right with Jim's schedule.

We had a great visit with Tom and Debby. I made a spread of food: chicken salad, shrimp, smoked salmon, hummus and veggies, chips & salsa and a tomato, hearts of palm, cucumber salad. There was plenty to eat and we just stayed in the night and talked. Luckily the apartment has fold up card table chairs for extra seating. They aren't the most comfortable but they provided extra seating.

Later that night Jim's stomach was distressed. The next morning, Saturday, things worsened. Originally we had planned to take Debby and Tom to Central Park. Saturday was sunny, beautiful and cold. As it turned out I called the doctor on call because I was concerned Jimmy might have C-diff, a potentially serious bacterial infection. The physician told us to go to the Emergency Room at MSK. Reluctantly Jim agreed to go.

Luckily the ER was not crowded and they put Jim in a room shortly after arriving. We had a fantastic nurse, Alex. Unfortunately Jim's PICC line wouldn't give a blood return when Alex tried to draw blood for a work up. It flushed well and Jim was able to receive IV fluids through it. Alex had to stick Jimmy and his veins aren't very good due to all the chemo he has had over the last two years. Alex took his time examining all the possible areas on Jim's arms and was able to get a vein. To not go into too much detail we had to wait in the ER the entire day until Jim's results came back. C-diff is treated with antibiotics but in Jimmy's case they would possibly admit him so the antibiotics could be given intravenously. After 6 1/2 hours of waiting we were told it was not C-diff but probably a virus or just side effects from the chemotherapy. He was dehydrated and did get a liter and a half of fluid while there. By the time we left the hospital it was 7:00 and Jim was exhausted. Deb and Tom were Ok with going out to dinner on their own. Luckily they have a nice room down the street from our apartment which overlooks the East River and Roosevelt Island. We have stayed there a couple of times when we used to come up to NYC for doctor appointments. The plan now was to try to visit Central Park and have lunch out before they head back to Virginia.

SUNDAY-

Jim woke up at 4:00 in the morning with stomach distress. On top of things he had a fever. It was 100.2. Now we are both questioning if the C-diff test was accurate. After all it was a rushed test. Could it be a false negative? Normally it takes 24-48 hours to get results. By 8:00 this morning he still was having distress but his temperature was back to normal. I'll have to monitor it closely. 

I called Debby at 10:00 to let her know what was going on. We would not be able to go to Central Park. She and Tom decided they would go and take a horse-drawn carriage ride. Around noon they came to the apartment. They enjoyed the carriage ride and learning about the different celebrities who  live close to the park. 

        

Before Debby and Tom left we walked to get a bite to eat. Jimmy came with us but refrained from eating anything. We walked a few blocks over to the East River and enjoyed the sunshine. They took a cab back to Penn Station around 3:00. By 4:15 Jim's temperature was 102.0. We didn't want to call the doctor on call because they would tell him to go to the ER. He took Tylenol and laid down. I walked to 2nd Avenue Deli and got him some Matzo Ball Soup otherwise known as Jewish penicillin. His temperature came down and we laid low the rest of the night.  Tomorrow we will follow up with Dr. Horwitz's office.

Jane sent me a couple of pictures of the dogs. Top one Boo has found a bit of sunshine to lie in which is typical of him. The other picture finds Boo comfortably snoozing in JJ's bed. She is on the rug not looking too happy about it. These pictures really brighten my day. Thank you Jane!