Maundy Thursday Chemo

Well we had to miss our Maundy Thursday service @ 8pm since Jo wasn't in the best of health and importantly she had her first Chemo session @ NCC today slated for 2pm.

I rushed back from a lunch appointment with a client and got off to NCC. She was walking slightly better today after yesterday's Bee episode. The cream must have worked.

At NCC
We arrived at NCC and had to wait nearly 3 hours before her number was called. This place is called the Ambulatory Treatment Unit or ATU (3rd floor) is always jam packed with patients the eve of any holiday. Today was none the different. We could have had ours done yesterday however Jo specifically requested for Julia who had been attending to her chemo treatments off and on since 2004. Julia's an extremely nice lady (as with all of the staff at the ATU) and we share and chat quite a fair bit before and during each treatment if time permits. The nurses here are so overworked and shorthanded (high staff turnover) that more should seriously be done here.

Julia
As in most cases, Julia pricked Joanne quite effortlessly with almost no pain involved. You could see her with her smiles in the top pix. It was really great to see her smile these days since it's been extremely difficult for her.

The Treatment
Today's treatment of Avastin took some 1hr 45mins for 300ml to drip through. A new machine has been installed that indicates the amount of medication left. Near the end of the treatment, Jo complained of chest tightness and we had to call the attending Doc in to review her. They also gave her an ECG to ensure all was ok with her heart. Doc listened to her lungs and all was fine. The nurses gave her oxygen to breathe in to alleviate this. About 15 mins later she was better and we left NCC.

Heavily Burdened
I feel heavily burdened with Prayer each time I step into NCC let alone the ATU floor. There are just so many people with cancer. My heart just goes out to the man in the wheelchair vomiting constantly, the mother with 2 kids tagging along...the list goes on. What hit me most today were 2 young patients. As I was entering the lift, I saw a mother pushing her 5 or 6 year old with nosedrip out of the lift. It was simply heart wrenching. The kid was scrawny for his age and bald...obviously from the chemo treatments. Another scene was that of a 10 yr old in the treatment cublicle opposite Jo. He was bald and had his mom and dad with him. It was painful to hear him scream when the nurses pricked him for the chemo infusion. I prayed there and then for them...that God would show mercy upon both the kids and their family.

All in all we started from 5:15pm and ended about 7pm. Typically as pictured, I would read her passages from "Streams in the Desert" by L.B. Cowman. Excellent daily devotional readings for the "weary desert traveller"

Aug 22 - Chemo Treatment

I was wondering how we were gonna organise this blog since I want to recount gradually the last 6 years as detailed as possible and yet include our current events...so it may be a little messy but that'll make for an interesting reading eh? Stick with us!

Aug 22, Tuesday
I was gonna be late picking her up for her 4:00pm blood test and so met her at NCC directly.
NCC organises a twice-yearly 3D2N retreat called "EnReach" for cancer patients. We've never had time to attend this over the years and now have decided that we will:

Venue: Grand Plaza Park Royal
Date: 1-3 Sept 2006

Anyway, after waiting at level 3 for some 30mins our number flashed "1700". We walked pass the automatic glass doors towards cubicle 9...no windows arrgh but its ok. The whole treatment should last no longer than 15mins. The usual formalities, "Jo, IC number" shouted the nurse at the counter. This was required to double check that the label on the drug was for Jo specifically, very important that this was correct. Don't wanna take someone else's drug. After she sat down in the seat, she'd prepare her hand for the infusion. 500ml of Saline was always prepared as the medium for the drug. For the last 6 weeks, she's been on Doxorubucin. 20ml every week of this red dyed looking susbtance.

"Ouuuuccchhh!" screamed Jo.

I got a shock. The nurse had somehow pierced through her vein and now there was internal bleeding. He was trying to stop the bruise from forming any larger...sheesh! Thankfully all was fine after this and infusion could proceeed. Poor girl. Poked nearly every week over the last 2 years. Her veins are fading, frail and thin making each subsequent treatment a challenge for the nurses. In my heart, God was telling me "forgive, forgive" and I did. Nurses are human too although Julia always did an exceptional job. Julia used to attend to Jo till she was transferred to the neighboring Jasmine Suite. She was a 60+ grandma nurse who was so experienced that she could always find Jo's tiniest of veins.

Dexamethasone (steroid) is given along with Kytril (anti-vomiting) each treatment. Dexa helps prevent the side effects from setting in too early. That's why she usually feels worse only on Thurs to Fri. Doxorubucin is administered via a syringe. After this is injected we wait for the rest of the saline solution to finish and then we're ready to go home.

For Jo, each venture into NCC is like a nightmare. She can even start feeling nauseous when she begins thinking of the place...