03/26 09:30This was the first day of the second cycle of Doc P's new chemo cocktail. We came in bright and early for a long day. Alan was good for vitals, which showed he's gaining weight and getting a little taller. Then we settled onto his usual couch.
ANC 2554
Alan's blood return was slow in coming which meant a lot of deep breathing to get things moving. His counts were good and we had some time to talk with Doc P about a couple different things. First, we remembered to pack all of Alan's meds for our weekend trip, except the Gabapenten that he gets three times a day. Doc P told us not to worry, since we had the Hydrocodone on hand. Alan did great without the Gabapenten (a good sign!) so Doc P told us to discontinue it, using the Hydrocodone for breakthrough pain if necessary. Since the Gabapenten is a major annoyance of Alan's and it causes photo-sensitivity that makes Alan upset by bright sunshine, we will be glad to drop it.
The other issue was another blister that had been forming at the end of Alan's surgical incision. Last year a blister formed because a suture was working it's way out so Doc P had to trim it since it was causing an infection. We were concerned when we saw the puffiness at the end of his incision again, and Doc P confirmed another suture was working it's way out. We'll keep an eye on it but it will probably need to be trimmed too.
After the premeds, Doc P came himself to push the Vinblastine then they started the four hour Doxorubicin infusion. Doc P cautioned that we should be prepared to be admitted to the hospital in 7-10 days if Alan develops mouth blisters, one of the possible side effects of the Doxorubicin. Though he didn't get them when he received it in the first year of his treatment, the effects are cumulative. If they appear, we will need to be in the hospital for pain control and nutrition. Hopefully this won't be necessary.
Alan was pretty content through the long day. He ate a lot, played with stickers and other toys and enjoyed the Nick Jr. lineup. Now that he is potty training, we had to carry him to the bathroom, IV stand and all, to pee. The constipation has been a constant battle and we were happy that he pooped twice, even one on the potty! Though we have been removing the painkillers from his routine, he usually gets more constipated during chemo. It's another thing we'll have to keep a close eye on this week.
Though it was a long day it went smoothly. We'll be back tomorrow for the second and final dose of Doxorubicin and be done with chemo for the week.
Alan surrounded by snacks and toys
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