Day #3

Jeanine's stress test turned out great. The cardiologist said that her heart was in good shape and could handle the pressures that might be placed on it. So Jeanine started her treatments (and unlike what we have read and told others, it is considered chemo) on Wednesday at about 4:30 pm. Her reactions have been many.

It started about 1 hour after the first treatment. She, the lady who is always toasty, became very cold. She felt like it started in the bones and moved out. On the other hand, she felt like the skin portion of her body was hot. We covered her with blanket after blanket and turned the temperature way up. Her face has turned very red and they told us that by the time she is finished, she will look the color of a boiled lobster.

She became quite restless. She has had headaches. She has had issues with lightheadedness. Her blood pressure has dipped to about 110 over 54. Her pulse had risen to 150 at one point. All of these issues have come and gone with none staying very long (at this point.)

Yet, her nurse wrote on her white board hung in the room that she is handling chemo well and there has been little to no reaction to the chemo, whatever that means. I suspect that it means that their is nothing happening that is unexpected or is dangerous to her health. Everything we have heard indicates that the chemo will produce cumulative effects, so we think things might get worse before they get better.

I headed home about 4:00 am and will get back there before her next chemo treatment at 9:30 am. All the nurses have indicated that the expectation is that the 4th or 5th treatment is when everything becomes very, very difficult.