Sorry I haven't posted since I went in last week…
Here I sit, scratching myself silly, giving you the high/low points of the treatment. Going back in tommorow.
High points: Never got the extreme chills/tremors. They could definately happen this week, though.
Didn't get diahhrea till the day before last. Lomotil took care of it right away. I think it's because I went in constipated. . Hint, if you think you have to go, unplug yourself and get in there!
Didn't vomit.
Sorry I haven't posted since I went in last week…
Here I sit, scratching myself silly, giving you the high/low points of the treatment. Going back in tommorow.
High points: Never got the extreme chills/tremors. They could definately happen this week, though.
Didn't get diahhrea till the day before last. Lomotil took care of it right away. I think it's because I went in constipated. . Hint, if you think you have to go, unplug yourself and get in there!
Didn't vomit.
Didn't halucinate, thank G-d. I was really scared about that one.
NEVER had low urine output. They were amazed. I highly recommend bringing a case of water–it really helps. Toward the end, when I couldn't eat, lived on water and bananas. Besides, my throat was so dry and lips peeling that I had to keep sipping water.
It was hard getting the Picc line in, they bent two (needles, wires, whatever they were) By the end of the week, I wanted to rip it out myself. There's got to be something else that doesn't itch so much as the patch/tape they use to secure it, and tomorrow I'll find out.
Low points: My skin was lobster red (but didn't peel.) Itch was and is so bad, nothing relieved it. was so swollen that at times one eye closed. Not Doxipin, not Adarax, not Zyrtec. In the hospital a shower followed by Sarna helped for about 10 min. Ditto for home and oatmeal baths. Just sent my hubby out for Tide Free & I'm rewashing everything today. I just cut all my nails off and the skin is all peely underneath. yuk.
Definate confusion which still hasn't cleared up yet.
As mentioned, extremely dry throat and peeling lips.
Blood pressure did get low, so did potassium. They're quick to remedy that.
I gained 35 lbs. of water. As soon as the 2nd day, my underwear was so tight I had to cut it w/scissors on the legs & waist. This time I bought 2 packages 2 sizes larger. Took off wedding ring and watch on first day.
I have to say, Dr. Sznol was there 1-2X/day, every day. What a dedicated man.
Recovery: Exhausted and itchy. Appetite came back pretty quickly, strength did not. Balance was horrible. When we went for my check-up this past thursday, my husband parked the car, I got out my side, and promptly walked into a parked car. When I saw Dr. S., he asked what % of normal I felt. I said 60, and if he expected more, he was out of luck. He laughted and said as long as I felt 60-70%, i was fine to go back in. The important criteria was my labs, and apparantly they're fine. We got home Sun. around noon, and I slept almost 'round the clock till Wednesday-Thursday.
I'm scared about the upcoming week because I know it can be so much worse. Also, since I did ipi & had the requisite side-effects, I kept asking him if I wasn't having enough, because with ipi, it's believed that the presence of side effects means that the body is responding. He said with IL-2, it's not the same and of course I did have some, just not the major ones.
Oh yeah, I did in the hosp. & will continue to put Aldera on the area every night. Interestingly, that skin is now painful, red and scabby. They're very interrested in the result of the combination of the IL-2 & Aldera, and so am I!
So I think that's it for now, sorry for not keeping up earlier. I really lost interest in everyting, didn't even check Facebook.
One last thing, so grateful to have my husband there; he was wonderful!
be well everyone,
karen
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