Back in the chair at 81st & Lexington, I'm drip drip dripping away in my third treatment with Rituxan. Everything is going well thus far, I've got about 2 hrs to go, and my body is tolerating the treatment with minimal interactions. They pre-medicate me with a lot of pain killer and Benedril IVs to prevent any Rituxan interaction. The Benedril burns like crazy up my veins but then it makes you dizzy & SLEEPY which is fabulous (the prednisone I'm on daily makes me a mad insomniac... I've been getting 2-4 hrs a night, and spending the rest of my evenings lying there running crazy lists in my head and coming up with things to do/make when everyone wakes up... its awful!!!!!). So I got a nice little 1.5hr nap when they dripped that IV and I feel so much better for it.
The Rituxan has some interesting side effects. It blasts my body overall, making me super weak and lethargic, and it causes my heart to beat super hard & at the rate of a speed walk. My core temperature is very high all the time & makes my torso sweat, while my limbs are freezing. And I'm dropping weight like crazy, which is really scary for someone my normal size. I've been force feeding every 2hrs & guzzling high caloric protein shakes but it keeps dropping off. I'm about 123lbs (a solid 15 below normal) and I look a little scary naked. But the MDs have assured me this is a side effect and to just keep eating as much as possible. This seems like a dream come true, (believe me I know was stoked the first two days!) but heres the kicker... another lovely side effect of Rituxan: Loss of Taste. YEP - BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR & ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT!!! I Can't taste a damn thing (except salt, vinegar, & super strong spices like mint/cinnamon/pepper). Frosting is like crisco in my mouth. My jaw gets tired of chewing and I just want to spit out the flavorless mush of everything. So its a chore to do every 2-3hrs, and I always feel all bloated & overfull icky, and my tummy is NOT happy about all this extra work. Oh yes, you think you're ahead of the game and the universe is very clever at putting you in your rightful place again my friend.
My Platelets fell some more over the weekend... from 317 Thursday to 250 Today. They aren't going up, but they aren't plummeting either so I guess this is encouraging. 250 is well within range so I'm not going back to the hospital today and thats a GOOD thing.
I hope everyone has a fantastic Monday, and I'll give you the update on Thursday after my next blood test.
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2 comments:
Laur,
You should really be a writer. You are very descriptive and feeling in your entries. Thanks for all of your efforts in keeping us informed. I can't imagine sitting there "drip, drip, drip" for so long. Good thing you can get a little sleep during those times. And you say, "Frosting tastes like Crisco." OH YUCK. A chocolate lovers worst nightmare. Take care, Love, Barb and Pete
Laur,
I have been really enjoying your blog posts (so long as they continue to be filled with good news!)...You are very descriptive and so well with your words that I feel as though I am reading story... :) I hope that you will be able to taste soon! :( That is no bueno...let me know when the time comes and I will be sure to send some tasty treats your way! ...Miss and Love you..xoxo
Dubie
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