brycebelt.net Blog

So much to update

August 2, 2008 on 10:46 pm | In Uncategorized | No Comments

He wasn’t able to have his big chemo day on the 22nd as scheduled. On the 21st we had his cbc done at the local hospital and his ANC was 480. It has to be at least 750. On Monday he also broke out with a really strange rash and we were told to watch it and give him benadryl. If not better bring him in. He still had it on Wednesday so we took him on in. They said it was hives/mystery rash.

On the 28th we had another CBC done at our local hospital and his ANC was 900 so the big chemo day was a go for the 29th.

29th was a LONG day, we went over to clinic and they accessed his port and started his IV fluids. He had to have 2 hours of fluids before his cytoxan. So we had to go over to OMO wheeling an IV. Once over to OMO we got right in but had to wait on his chemo being delivered for quite some time. He had over 3 hours of fluids and then they gave him his ARA-C chemo push through his port, then Dr. Ahuja came in and and did his LP with Methotrexate, and then the one hour drip of Cytoxan, then an additonal 3 hours of fluids. Bryce tolerated everthing well and only slept the last hour we were there. He was sent home with his port accessed because he is to get additonal ARA-C at home on Wed, Thurs, Friday.We were able to leave at around 4:45.

When we got home and he got undressed we noticed a horrible red rash on him. Not the same as the week before but his chest, neck, one cheek, and his entire back were red. It was red like a sunburn but a little raised and swollen. They had put this itchy wrap around his chest to help protect his line and help keep it from dangling so that he wouldn’t mess with it. I took it off and checked the side effects of his meds and the Ara-C could cause rash. So I called the hospital and talked to Dr. Ayaanar and she said to give him Benadryl that it sounded like an ARA-C rash and to bring him in on Wed morning.

On Wednesday the rash was pretty much gone so I called clinic and they said to not come in, as I suspected, they wasn’t anything to look at. So she said to hold the benadryl and see if it came back after he got his Ara-C with the home health nurse. It didn’t thankfully!

It was nice having the home health nurse come out instead of dragging him into Louisville everyday. That was so nice to just have them pop in for a few minutes and then he was all done. On Friday Kelly his home health nurse asked if I would be interested in giving him his meds through his port. I said sure and she said she had cleared it with Bryce’s docs and if I was comfortable with it she would show me how and next week I could just give him his meds and wouldn’t have to wait around all day for them to do it. Sounded good to me!! So I gave him his meds Friday and she de-accessed him. So the game plan for next week will be Tuesday appt at the clinic to have his port accessed again for the week and a dose of Ara-C. Wed and Thursday I will give him his meds at home, Friday I will give his meds but the home health nurse will be out to draw his blood and to de-access his port.

Also he has been taking a new chemo pill through all of this called 6TG. He takes it by MOUTH!!! He has no trouble at all, takes him just a second and he is always so proud and opens his mouth really big to show me it’s gone and gives me a big high five. I must admit, I am proud too!!