Day #1 - the end of the day

As we were told, today was a preparation day. Jeanine called me at 3:00 pm. The hospital had finally called. She was in her room by 4:00 and spent the next hour unpacking and setting up the room how she wanted it.

Her first order of business was an EKG and that was followed by visits from the Cardiologist's Nurse Practitioner and then the Cardiologist. They informed her that she needed a stress test. She opted for the treadmill stress test over the chemical stress test, though if she is unable to do the treadmill test, they'll switch over. She didn't want any more drugs causing stress to her body than is already expected. They also talked about a ultrasound of her heart. Those will be done tomorrow morning.

Next an orderly came and took her to get her PICC line. It is a catheter that is placed in a vein in her upper arm and feeds into a large vein close to the heart. I suppose it makes it easier to disseminate the chemicals throughout the body, though I don't know for sure. She said it was one of the easier pokes she has had since it was guided by ultrasound and lidocaine was injected to ease the discomfort. She has horrible veins and typically has been poked between 3-8 times before someone can get blood. A PICC line allows them to get blood from her without her being poked over and over again. Her only problem from this procedure is an ache in her arm and when they inject saline in the line she gets a funny metallic taste in her mouth.

On that same trip, Jeanine also got a chest x-ray.

Except for a urine sample and vials of blood, that is all that was done to her today. She did not see her Oncologist, but expects to see him in the morning.

Many friends dropped by to see her today and she enjoyed their visits. When they start the Proleukin, though, we are not sure what kind of reception she'll give to visitors. Everything we've heard and read has led us to believe that she will be pretty miserable.

We are expecting that the Doctor will start the doses pretty quickly after the stress test (if all is ok.) She is nervous, but handling things well.