April 18, 2023 PM Update

     I am sorry this post is late.  It was an absolutely beautiful day and when we got home from the hospital I didn’t want to sit.  I had been for most of the day.
     Against my desire Teresa accompanied me.  I would have been fine as it turned out.  Then again, I do what she says.  Most of you already know that.
     The treatment today was about as tolerable as I could have hoped.  It took a couple of sticks for the IV and the one that hit was pretty uncomfortable.  That was the worst pain of the day.
     Here’s a quick recap.  I already had five steroid pills at home to start the day, but I was given more.  The IV was for Benadryl and a med to help with the nausea.  That took about half an hour and then I had to wait for an hour after those meds had finished. 
     After that hour I received both chemotherapy meds by injection, plus another IV med to strengthen my bones.  One of the injections took almost 15 minutes.  The nurse had a steady hand injecting “molasses textured” medicine for that long.
     To make sure that I wouldn’t have a reaction to this first injection I had to wait two hours before we could leave.  All in all we were there a bit under five hours.
     I would sign on the dotted line right now if all the treatments would go as well as today.  The Baptist Health nursing staff was marvelous.  Sunshine checked me in.  While I was being weighed she walked by and said to the tech, “Keep an eye of this one.”
     We stopped for a late lunch at some cowboy restaurant because someone knew there was a special before 5 p.m.  I believe the steroids were kicking in because I was starving.
     I am told that the nausea would likely happen on the third day.   That remains to be seen.   I have had none so far.
     When we got home I gave some thought to sliding the boat in the water but thought I’d not have enough time.
     I decided to try to finish some of that “get it done just in case list.”  It was a bit productive.  I burned two piles of brush, dug up a dead rose bush, picked up some sticks in the yard, worked on my fishing rods, did some weed eating, helped Teresa vacuum the spa room, and got the end of a stump removed (it was already cut!) 
       Teresa had only one comment.  “Oh, no, Chuck Cooper on steroids.”
       I think the downer will come when the chemo meds kick in.  For day one at least the steroids had the upper hand.
       Thanks for your prayers.  I have no doubt that they greatly impacted the day.