Day 14 First Day of Immunotherapy

It has been a very long day!  I left Tim to himself at around 7:20 and was still waiting on security to walk me to my car at 7:45!  I had NO CLUE how to get back to my car from where I was in the HUGE complexity of buildings knows as Wake Forest Baptist Hospital!  WHEW!  I am concerned about finding Tim again tomorrow!  :D  Pray that he gets some much needed rest and sleep tonight!  He was told that at midnight he would receive his second dose of  IL-2.  That is only 7 hours from the time he received the first one, so I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't get it until 1 a.m. or so.

So, for those of you who are not following me on facebook, here is a run down of the activity for the day in getting Tim settled into the hospital.  I am copying from facebook, word for word, picture for picture, so if you saw it all there, you need not read any further, unless you want to get the whole picture here in one spot!  :D

A Room with a View.....or not!

We arrived at the hospital at 7:00 this morning for our 7:15 appointment with Nurse Robin. She was delayed, so we went ahead and went through Admissions and went to the outpatient radiology waiting room for Tim to get the port inserted under his skin. At 8:15, he was finally taken back for that procedure.

In the mean time, Nurse Robin took me to Tim's room to get him set up. I wish I had had someone take a picture of all the STUFF ..... suitcase, brief case, laptop bag, purse, 2 grocery bags. Oh, my aching back!

Nurse Robin had made the call from the radiology waiting room to find out which room to go to. She wanted a room with a view! Well, the only "view" from Tim's vantage point when he is in bed is the side of one of the many buildings here on the Baptist Hospital "campus." BUT, at least it is a window instead of a solid, bland wall!

So, here is home for Tim for the week. A good-sized private room.

We are feeling very much at peace, praise only to the Lord for that!

I will be sending out text messages to family and church members with room number and phone number.

DO NOT send flowers!!! NOT allowed on this floor, which is the Bone Marrow Transplant floor.

If you would like to send him a card, and need the home address, send me a private message.

9:30 a.m. - Tim was rolled back to the "operating room" for the port at 8:15. I am sure that there was a wait while the anesthetic took affect before the procedure started. The nurse just called and said everything is going fine and they are getting ready to "close up."

BTW, Nurse Robin told me the first high dose of Interleukin-2 will begin at 4:00 p.m.

I was standing at the window sending a text message to some of you with hospital room and phone # when I heard a noise and looked up and Tim came WALKING into the room! He said he really was awake through the whole procedure of the port insertion. He got to the room at around 10:15.

It is hard to see in the picture, but he has all kinds of green sterilization from his hair line down and around on his arm.

The nursing staff has been in and out since then getting beginning vitals, etc. And when they finally called in Tim's diet to the cafeteria, he hopped right on the phone to order lunch! Chicken Salad sandwich, Vegetable Beef soup and a tossed salad! It was all good!

Waiting on lunch in the photo. Does he look sick to you? Praise the Lord that he is healthy other than this dreaded disease that God is gonna knock out! BUT, if not, we will still trust Him and love Him because He loved us first!

The fluids have begun in preparation for administering the IL-2. The small bag at the top, which you really can't see too well, is Zofran for nausea and the big bag is Potassium Chloride to keep his potassium up. He is reading some information on a study concerning the use of the high dose Interleukin-2. It is a study conducted by the manufacturer of the IL-2. Nothing really involved except collecting data.

First dose of IL-2 scheduled for 4 p.m. Pray that the "could be" side affects are quite minimal for him! We want to get as many doses "down" as possible with each stay! To put it in Tim's words, "We want to get our money's worth!"  

Waiting patiently for the treatment to begin. We played a game of Phase 10 Dice (one game as I beat him royally, but don't tell him I told you so.) Then we decided to take a little stroll before he has to be in bed for the treatment. Since this is the Bone Marrow Transplant unit, Tim had to wear a face mask while out of his room. We basically walked around the nurses station about 4 trips and since it was so boring, that was that! Back to the room for snacks that the kids gave him in the care package they made up for him!

Dose 1 began at 5:00 and is done. Now he waits for 8 hours before the next one begins. Dinner is ordered!  

Supper was very good! Herb crusted baked chicken, g.beans, baked sweet potato with brown sugar & cinnamon, and apple crisp for desert! The sweet tea left a LOT to be desired, however!

We skyped with Elisabeth and the kids tonight at 7 and then I got ready to leave.  I've got dishes to do, but I think I'm going to bed!

Thanks to all of you for your love and support and most of all for your prayers!  XOXO