2nd ASCT - Day 87 - August 13 2012

After Jani left at 5:15 AM, I collected the things I usually take to clinic/infusion visits in my red traveling bag. And, POOR ME...I had to pack my own cooler with bottled water and make my own sandwich....Jani has SPOILED ME and I  WILL MISS HER!

I drove to Twin Falls this morning and was lucky enough to see a big buck mule deer on the side of the road by the Craters of the Moon and NOT HIT IT!! Only 1 area of road construction with a pilot car - I had to wait about 5-8 minutes.

I arrived before my appointment scheduled at 10:40 AM. Had my blood drawn and the technician told me that I should return to the waiting room while while they ran the blood. I sat in the waiting room reading a sign they had posted, "If you are not called within 20 minutes, tell the receptionist.". My appointment for subcutaneous Velcade was at 11:20 AM. So, at 11:35 AM, I asked the receptionist if they had forgotten me. She told me to wait 5 more minutes and if I were not called, she would call back. I WAITED (not happily). Finally, I told the receptionist to call back to the Infusion Area. She did and told me that they DIDN'T KNOW I WAS WAITING - errrr. and it would be moment because the nurses were taking lunch in shifts with backup from the lab (or something like that). 

Finally, technician Matt came for me and did my vital signs and weight assigning me to Chair 3. About 10 minutes later, RN Brittany came over to me said she was sorry about the mix-up. I explained that I had to drive 2 1/2 hours to get to Twin Falls and had expected to be in and out with the blood draw and subcutaneous Velcade injection....and I HOPED this process would be more seamless in the future. Pretty quickly, the Velcade injection was ready and it hardly hurt this time in my right arm. Velcade subcutaneously is a very stingy sensation and I think it is best to inject slowly which RN Brittany did.  

RN Brittany also printed off my CBC (that's all they drew today, no Chem Panel) and my SPEP (M-Spike) from August 8 2012 for me to take home. My white blood cell count has dropped a tad to 3.8 from 4.2 on Aug 8 2012. My hemoglobin also dropped a tad to 12.7 from 13.1 on Aug 8 2012. My platelets are good at 314 (they were 298 on Aug 8 2012). So, the Velcade chemotherapy is reducing my white blood cell count and my hemoglobin. I need to get the parameters used if they decide to HOLD the velcade because of reduced counts, so I can better understand this aspect. I also need to assure that St. Luke's MSTI Twin Falls is faxing my labs to Dr. Myint at UCH in Aurora, Colorado. I see Dr. Padavanija on Thursday, 8/16/2012 and I'll discuss this with her.

I asked to talk to RN Sandy or RN Kenadi regarding my Vorinostat chemotherapy which they are trying to get approved...A PROCESS THAT NOW HAS TAKEN 3 WEEKS and no answer. Neither nurse was available, but RN Brittany told me she would have RN Sandy call me later.

Got back to Bart and took my Dex (10 mg) along with 81 mg of ASA while I ate my peanut and butter sandwich I brought with me.

Had to wait for the pilot car AGAIN in the road construction area, but I was back in Mackay, Idaho by 3 PM.  Kemmer stayed with Paco (my Dad) and my brother, Jeff today, but she was GLAD to see me. The forest fire smoke in Mackay is VERY BAD today - so, no walk for Kemmer and me. That's the sun almost totally blocked and there is ash falling...so SICK!

RN Sandy from Twin Falls called me at 5:36 PM to let me know that she had called Curascript AGAIN and they are still working on the insurance approval for the Vorinostat. I asked her to call them EVERY DAY until there is a ruling and she said she would.