VD-PACE UCH Inpatient Admission - April 13 2012

Faye Hummel drove me to UCH this afternoon after RN Sarah called to tell me they wouldn't have a bed available until 3 PM, but I could come early and they would house me in the 11th Floor Treatment Room and get me started before the room was available.


We arrived UCH around 12:45 PM. RN Sarah got my blood drawn while Faye and I reviewed all the genealogy that I'm been gathering recently on my maternal family side.

Then, my Room 1102 became available sooner than they had expected and we moved over there. 


RN Elysia was my nurse and along with help from RN Ian, got me officially admitted for a 96 hour course of VD-PACE. I will NOT be getting Thalidomide this time because of the neurological side effects I had the previous 2 times I'm tried Thalidomide. VD- PACE mediations include: 

Velcade IV

Decadron IV

Cisplatin IV

Adriamycin IV (this one makes your hair fall out, but I'm already bald)

Cytoxan IV

Etoposide IV

Nurse Practitioner Joanna came in and spent a lot of time with me getting my history and doing a brief physical examination. This is the first time I've met NP Joanna, but she seemed informed about my case, yet listened carefully to my concerns this afternoon.  I told her about a spot of chest pain that I've been having the last 48 hours just right of my sternum and below my right clavicle. The pain is not severe and I almost didn't tell her about it since I have enough OTHER issues and thought it could be related to my gastritis. NP Joanna thought it best that I have a chest x-ray to check the placement of my left arm PICC Line (place 16 Mar 2012) to make sure it had not migrated from the original insertion and an EKG before they started the intravenous VD-PACE.

So, Transporter Martin came for me and took me to X-Ray in the basement of UCH for a QUICK in and out 2 view chest x-ray. Back in the my 1102 Room, I had an EKG which was normal.

Faye stayed and we entertained ourselves with the NEW UCH MENU. The food selections and food have been terrible during my previous 3 hospitalizations at UCH, so I was delighted to see the new menu and hopeful that the food was better too! I ordered a bean burrito previously NOT an option on the UCH Menu along with fresh grapes, an apple, and some low fat cream cheese. I asked for lettuce and tomato for my burrito and the lady put me on hold and then came back and said she could do that. When the food came, there were no tomatoes or lettuce on the burrito - but, Faye discovered they had been cooked inside the burrito. The burrito was good and fresh, so maybe the food is BETTER now.

RN Elysia (from Montana so she has a special place in my book since I'm from Idaho) got my VD-PACE started at 6:05 PM

Faye left well after rush hour and I napped.

The view out my window in UCH 1102 made think of the 100 year anniversary of the Titanic Sinking with all of it's smoke stacks.