The week was one centered around the treatment of the blood virus, CMV. The drug used to treat the CMV, foscarnet, was really starting to take a toll on my body. I had to go into clinic every day for a dose and its side affects were everything I had been warned about.
Labs were drawn each morning to check my kidney function. The foscarnet was known to be hard on the kidneys so each dose was based on what the doctors thought my body could handle that day. I was given a nausea medicine, phenagren, before each dose and it did the trick to the keep the nausea at bay. My face would tingle and my entire face and even my gums would start to tingle and go numb. My limbs would feel absolutely drained and it was a chore just to stand up. Completely and utterly wiped out was how the inside of my body felt and all I wanted to do when I got home was sit down and sleep. I usually ended up recovering a sense of normalcy around dinner time.
By Tuesday, my CMV levels had greatly increased and it was decided that I would need to go to the clinic for an extra dose at night. The doubling of the dosage really took a toll on my body. Getting up from a chair was a challange! Wednesday through Friday I returned to the hospital's infusion center for another dose of Foscarnet - a two hour process last from 8 - 10. Early days at the clinic and long nights at the infusion clinics made for an exhausting week.
Sunday another CMV test was taken with hopes the counts would go down due to all the heavy dosing that had been given.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
My Bone Marrow Transplant: Day 49 - 55
Started this week feeling very week and drained. I was able to attend a painting class on Tuesday with my mother and even though I was very tired and nauseated I was able to get out of the house and paint a plate. It was good therapy.
The next clinic visit showed I needed platelets so they were ordered up and I was also told I had developed a new virus. CMV. I had been warned before transplant that this virus was one they would be testing for on a regular basis. It's a virus that attacks the blood and if caught and treated soon enough has no immediate side affects. If left alone, it would eventually damage my organs. One of the two drugs they use to treat the virus is foscarnet. Side affects include nausea, depletion in electrolytes, GI upset, and a general drainage of strength and energy. The nurses said I would pretty much feel awful and tired all the time. The drug would be administered along with a bag of fluids; half given before the foscarnet and half afterwards taking approximately 3 hours. I would also need to come into the clinic everyday to get treatment for the rest of the week.
The next day in clinic a vomited up breakfast in the clinic right after taking my 10:00 meds. I had felt nauseated all day and that last bit of water to take my meds was all my stomach could take. I was told if I couldn't keep pills, liquid, or food down by the time I left the clinic I would be admitted to the hospital. No! I ended up eating a taco before the end of the day and was free to go home. Thankful! I will never understand how my stomach can be fine for days in a row and then decide it doesn't want to behave.
My headache has become nonstop and oxycodone does not help. I was given a prescription of Imatrex and it finally relieved the pain. The headache is positional and I can turn my head a certain way and it will send pain shooting up the back of my neck but if I leave my head still or in a certain way there is no pain. The doctors ordered an MRI to be taken late that evening to scan my neck and my brain to check for a possible pinched nerve. It lasted an hour and I slept through most of it because of all the drugs I had been on that day.
Finished out the week with daily visits to the clinic for a daily dose of foscarnet and a test to check the level of virus in my blood was done on Sunday. Results were expected to available by Tuesday or Wednesday. The side affects I had been warned about were spot on. After each dose I could feel how drained and weakened by body was becoming. I also had to be given nausea medication during the foscarnet and it made me drowsy. I felt as though the entire week was a just a daily trip to the clinic to take a nap.
My electrolytes were taking a hit too. I would receive a bag or two of magnesium, or a bag or pills of potassium, sodium phosphate, or calcium. The NP was very good about monitoring my blood and electrolyte levels.
The next clinic visit showed I needed platelets so they were ordered up and I was also told I had developed a new virus. CMV. I had been warned before transplant that this virus was one they would be testing for on a regular basis. It's a virus that attacks the blood and if caught and treated soon enough has no immediate side affects. If left alone, it would eventually damage my organs. One of the two drugs they use to treat the virus is foscarnet. Side affects include nausea, depletion in electrolytes, GI upset, and a general drainage of strength and energy. The nurses said I would pretty much feel awful and tired all the time. The drug would be administered along with a bag of fluids; half given before the foscarnet and half afterwards taking approximately 3 hours. I would also need to come into the clinic everyday to get treatment for the rest of the week.
The next day in clinic a vomited up breakfast in the clinic right after taking my 10:00 meds. I had felt nauseated all day and that last bit of water to take my meds was all my stomach could take. I was told if I couldn't keep pills, liquid, or food down by the time I left the clinic I would be admitted to the hospital. No! I ended up eating a taco before the end of the day and was free to go home. Thankful! I will never understand how my stomach can be fine for days in a row and then decide it doesn't want to behave.
My headache has become nonstop and oxycodone does not help. I was given a prescription of Imatrex and it finally relieved the pain. The headache is positional and I can turn my head a certain way and it will send pain shooting up the back of my neck but if I leave my head still or in a certain way there is no pain. The doctors ordered an MRI to be taken late that evening to scan my neck and my brain to check for a possible pinched nerve. It lasted an hour and I slept through most of it because of all the drugs I had been on that day.
Finished out the week with daily visits to the clinic for a daily dose of foscarnet and a test to check the level of virus in my blood was done on Sunday. Results were expected to available by Tuesday or Wednesday. The side affects I had been warned about were spot on. After each dose I could feel how drained and weakened by body was becoming. I also had to be given nausea medication during the foscarnet and it made me drowsy. I felt as though the entire week was a just a daily trip to the clinic to take a nap.
My electrolytes were taking a hit too. I would receive a bag or two of magnesium, or a bag or pills of potassium, sodium phosphate, or calcium. The NP was very good about monitoring my blood and electrolyte levels.
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