Day 83 - Maintenance Chemotherapy Administration Month 1 Week 1 December 5 2011

After my blood  values were back, we were escorted to the infusion center. I was weighed and measured for height. My weight has crept up to 151 pounds (but, I did have heavier clothing on since it was only 10 degrees outside) and my height is steady at 5' 2 1/4 ".


We waited in the recliner area for the nurse to hang the Decadron and Normal Saline which was scheduled to run over 15 minutes.

Then, I should have gotten my quick intravenous push Velcade (1.7 mg dose based on 1mg/metered squared), but I asked if they were going to give me Aloxi (long acting intravenous anti-nausea medication) along with my Velcade. That question really delayed things since they do not pre-mediate with ANY anti-nausea medication for Velcade/Decadron. When I was receiving my induction chemotherapy from Dr. Moore at Front Range Cancer Center in Ft. Collins, Colorado, it was their protocol to always give the Aloxi with the Velcade/Decadron, so that is what I was used to.


The nurse explained that my insurance might not pay for the Aloxi, but I told her they paid for it in Ft. Collins. They offered me Kytril (anti-nausea) or Zofran (anti-nausea) and then went on to explain that patients receiving Velcade/Decadron do no need ANY anti-nausea medication. So, I decided to fore go the medications for anti-nausea, but they did send me home with Zofran tablet if I started to feel badly on our long drive back to Greeley, Colorado in rush hour traffic. More later on if my decision to go without anti-nausea medication was good idea or no.

My wonderful caregiver sister had a bit of a melt-down on Day 83. What should have taken 1 1/2 hours took 3 hours and then add the 1.25 hour drive each way and we were pretty much gone all afternoon into the evening. Good thing Jani wasn't wearing a mask like I had to for all that time - or, I think she would have gone ballistic.

Our drive home was a chilly one - temperature dipped to Minus 1, but was mostly 2 above as we drove from Aurora, Colorado to Greeley, Colorado.