Body Fluids

It’s all about fluids. Bodily fluids. 

If your body thinks you have too much, then it rids itself of all perceived overages through a variety of orifices.

When your body has made a terrible mistake and has rid itself of way too many fluids, it needs help in having them replenished.

We have run the full gamut.

Today was Johnny’s appointment to have his liver enzymes checked to see if it was time to have his bright, shiny new pump finally put to use. (It wasn’t: liver enzymes still elevated. Drats.) We weren’t actually schedule with an appointment with Dr. Ansari, but when his nurse saw Johnny walk in, she told Dr. Ansari that Johnny looked pretty bad and after the labs were drawn he sent for us.

Remember how he teased Johnny about “thriving” on chemo with the first protocol? He was openly concerned about Johnny and how awful he looked after the first round of CPT-11. When Dr. Ansari came in the exam room, Johnny was laying on the exam table. He has NEVER laid on the exam table. Keep in mind, he has only started one of his two protocols at this point. Makes me a little scared for when they do fill the pump. He said that regardless of what the liver enzymes showed, Johnny was too sick today to start the FUDR protocol through the pump. We were hoping to get both protocols on the same schedule, so it wasn’t all bad. If the enzymes come down by next Monday they will do both chemotherapies.

He rattled off a list of stuff for the nurse to do for Johnny, including hydration with at least two liters of normal saline, Decadron, and IV anti-emetics. Johnny was so pitiful, that he had to be put in one of the private rooms today. Usually he sits out in the main infusion room in the big leather recliners looking out on the city and chatting with all of his newly acquired friends. Today, he curled up on a bed covered in a couple blankets and looked downright dreadful. I sat on the couch in the room and really had a hard time not crying. He looked like a chemo patient.

They infused the first liter of fluids with the anti-emetics. The second liter was infused with the Decadron (steroid). At the end of the second liter, the nurse asked if he had gotten up yet to use the restroom. He hadn’t. He hadn’t even stirred. I woke him up and asked if he thought he could go to the bathroom. Slowly and deliberately he got up. He was like a drunken sailor trying to walk to the bathroom (about 10 feet away). I had to help steady him the whole time he was up. I helped him back to bed and the nurse came to see how he had done. Success, but still “concentrated” (for you medical folks out there).

She was afraid of giving him too much, but agreed that another ½ liter was probably in order. So, she hung yet another bag of fluids.

We were there from 9 a.m. until after 3 p.m. today. It was a long day, to say the least. Especially if you consider that he didn’t even get chemo! Finally, I asked Johnny if he thought he could make it to the car. He said that other than being a bit groggy and dizzy from laying down, he was feeling better. His stomach ache was gone, which was a huge relief.

Once we got home, the Decadron started to kick in and gave him a boost in his energy. He actually sat up on the couch for quite a little while and sat at the bar and ate dinner with us (albeit an abbreviated version of dinner).

He has been relatively conversational this evening, although I see him petering out as it passes 8:00.

We were really spoiled with the first go-round of chemo, to be sure. I think this is a more accurate representation of what chemo must really be like. I can tell you one thing for sure. . . I don’t like it.

Please pray for my Johnny to keep his fluids in tonight, and for his liver enzymes to start cooperating with us.