Kaiser to the Rescue !!!!

This week has had more drama than usual.  Monday the lab work (blood work) came back with lots of different issues.  When they took vitals I had a low grade fever.  They told me to check my temperature every hour or so,  parts were out of the normal range.  Tuesday instead of chemo they hydrated me and gave a mineral cocktail.  They told me that if my temp got to 100.4 or more to go to the Emergency Room.  The fever was staying in the normal range, but it jumped into the dangerous Will Robinson land after 9:00 pm.  So off to the ER at 9:30 pm ( we had to get dressed from PJs to clothes).

They hydrated me on arrival and then took "gallons" of blood.  Some of the tests would take three days because cultures had to grow.  About 2 am they decided to admit me to the hospital because there were so many issues going on.  I was still very very weak like last week, and maybe even worse.

From early Wednesday through late afternoon Saturday I was in the hospital.  During that time I was hydrated, on antibiotics (IV) and many minerals that I was low in.  They also fed me antibiotics during my stay to fight the infection.  As usual, Kaiser provided fantastic care and attention to me as if I were their only patient.  The blood tests came back including the cultures and all were in the good range except for one minor infection that I am treating with antibiotics for the next week and a half.

After i got home last night, I am resting more because the noise level is lower and Marty does not check my blood pressure every two hours.  Also the moaning and yelling patient down the hall is not here with me.  I am trying to walk more (with a walker) to regain my strength.  I am forcing myself to eat more even though food tastes awful.  Not because of Marty's cooking ,but because of my taste buds.

Prayer warriors, its been a tough week and I appreciate it so much.  We do not expect it to get much better so I need you to kick it into overdrive,   God bless each and every one of you.

Chemo nose and chemo taste buds strike hard

Last night we prepped a wonderful dish, mussels and clams in broth.  (the mussels and clams weren't cooked until today).  Friends were joining us for lunch Sunday. Well, Marty prepared the broth and I washed a gazillion bowls, utensils, pots and pans.  He does love to drive me crazy dirtying every dish in the house.  While he worked on the broth I sat in the living room, the smell, aroma to him, was ticking off chemo nose.  I would go to the kitchen every 20 minutes or so to wash more dishes, then rush back to the living room. Marty also made an Angel Food cake which he iced this morning. 

Our friends brought a wonderful salad for us. It even smelled good, and was beautiful. Marty said it was really good.  I wouldn't know,  I forgot to tell them I can't eat raw veggies. 

This was a mussels meal I had asked Marty to make for our friends.  It is a recipe Marty developed. The broth is so rich with all the veggies cooked in it.  I love this meal.  So the meal began with me watching all eating the salad.  I could smell the broth and mussels cooking and knew this was not going to end well.

Marty filled the bowls with the dish and then put one in front of me.  I almost screamed, no take it away, I can't eat this.  I was gagging, but I didn't throw up.  The smell was just awful to the chemo nose.  I watched them eating one of my favorite meals and having to smell it.  I ate peanut butter on Zesta crackers with applesauce.  Not great, but doesn't gag me.

Then he cut the Angel Food cake and served us nice big slices.  Chemo nose said more, more. Chemo taste buds says this is good stuff.  It tasted normal, which would be wonderful.  So many things if they don't gag just taste wrong.  Love the cake and will have some for supper too.

I had planned to take pictures of food and chemo brain forgot.  Trust me, this chemo stuff is disruptive to my life.  But it also is giving me life.