Chemo Day

Today Wayne had his third chemo since we have been in Montana.  He went into it really tired.  Last week's chemo really wiped him out.  Even though the Avastin is not a chemo drug but rather an antibody that attempts to disrupt the flow of oxygen to the tumors via the red blood cells, it still kicked him in the butt more than just the taxal and carboplatin.  (See Barbara rolling around those big cancer words!!)  Anyway, then when he saw the neurologist last week, he wanted Wayne to try to decrease his decadron, which is the steroid he has to take to keep his brain from swelling too much, thus causing even more problems with his balance.  So he tried.  He went from twelve mgs a day to eight.  And the balance problem came back.  With a vengence.

Yesterday morning he fell three times and one of those times he got hurt.  He told me it was just his legs, but then tonight he rolled over on his hip and groaned and I found out that he hurt his hip and arm too.  He has seemed to me to be in more pain recently, and that is interesting because Fern commented to Mandy that she thinks he's in a lot of pain too.  Mandy and I realized in talking about him that he often only takes pain meds when I ask him if he needs them.  She noticed that even last summer.  I guess I will get Fern to help me in asking him about his pain, at least until we move.  And I will try to be more diligent about asking him more often.  When I told the doctor today that Wayne's pain is getting worse and that it is in his legs, he checked the MRI results and there is one or more brain lesions that are big enough to cause that.  He is not having any chest pain or even headaches.  I am glad for that.

Meanwhile back at today's appointment we discovered that he has lost three pounds.  This in and of itself is not a bad thing.  He weighed 171 at his chemo appointment last week, so he is still 168, the most he has ever weighed.  So I am not concerned so much that he has no room to lose like I would normally be the case, but I am worried because he isn't getting enough nutrients.  He is still drinking ensure and we'll buy it for him when he runs out.  But he has lost his appetite.  Tonight I asked him to come with me to get dinner and he said he didn't want any. And he didn't feel like going anywhere either, so I went to Wendy's and brought him a junior hamburger and a large frosty, and he ate the ice cream but not the hamburger. He slept through chemo, slept when I went to my own doctor's appointment late this afternoon, and went to sleep at 8:30 tonight.  He is exhausted. 

He is having other symptoms too.  I made him some salt water to use for his mouth sores, but for some reason he keeps throwing it out.  Today I got a prescription for some stuff called, "Mary's magic mouthwash," that cost $40.00 for a 12 ounce bottle.  In addition to his sore mouth, Wayne's voice is getting really hoarse.  One possible cause is thrush.  The doctor gave him five diflucan to try.  (John, that's the pill for yeast infections.)  He didn't see any thrush, but we hope that is what it is.  The alternative is a tumor in his throat or esophagus.   I am also fairly certain that he is depressed.  He is irritable (particularly with me, which I do understand and try hard not to let bother me),   He isn't talking much to me or to anyone.  He seems to have lost interest in most things but part of that may be the great energy drain of chemo, the steroids or even the cancer itself.  He enjoys sitting out on Fern's deck, listening to music.  In fact, listening to music is about all he wants to do.  We are first in line for a ground floor apartment where Wayne's niece Alisa lives, and he is looking forward to setting up one bedroom as a quilting room.  I hope he will be able to do his quilting.

I'm sorry I haven't written a new post for a while.  I did actually get one all written and then accidentally deleted it.  I was sick for several days as well, but I will try to do better from here on out.  Please keep up your prayers. We want a miracle!