4th Cycle, 3rd Day.. Going home.

This is the view of the river when I woke up this moring.  The third day, 07/27/11.

The Sta Cruz River at its muddy state

As you can see, the river is already muddy.  This is an indication that there is much rain at the mountains.  This was what we worry about when it rains and the river has this color.  But luckily, later in the morning, they announced that the tropical storm Juaning lost its strength when it had its landfall.

Anyway.

My IV was removed in the early morning hours of today.  I complained and insisted that it be taken off because the 'tusok' is already hurting me.  Luckily, the nurses had the go-signal so it was removed even if there is still one-third remaining in the dextrose.

We went home a little later than usual.  There was a slight issue about our bill that I'd rather not talk about.

4th Cycle, 2nd Day: Maybe it was because of B+

I woke up at 5:30 am and all I wanted was to get out and look at the river.  My room this time is just beside the balcony that looks over at the river and this was what I saw that morning.  But I still have to get out of the room to get this view.

The view at the balcony behind the hospital

It was cloudy and it looked like it rained all night.  The river is still calm though.  You can see the reflections of the houses on the river bank and this means that not much going on at the mountains, at least not yet.  And I was hoping that there aren't going to be any at all, because if there will be, the worse thing that could happen is a flash flood and this river will be very much affected.

Anyway.

Nothing much eventful during the second day.  But what I remember and remember hard up until this writing is what my oncologist told me before she started my chemotherapy.  She told me that I should start doing some walking.  She said that a lot of the hospital staff (and she, too) noticed that I don't look like I am undergoing chemotherapy at all.  They think I gained weight which was rather unusual for someone in my shoes.

Third floor nurses' station

This is the nurses' station at the third floor.  Basically, this is how big the third floor looks like.  At the back of where I took this photo is a small chapel and on the left and right wings are two more rooms on each side.  One on each side of them are suites.

As usual, when the shot of steroids was administered, that fang of itch between the thighs are there and my doctor and I now laugh at this matter.  Then, she told me that she was about to administer dipenhydramine and that I would be feeling sleepy anytime now.  And I was.

I think my eyebrows are slowly falling off

But before I fell asleep, I was able to tell her about the pain I felt on my right inguinal area that started about three days ago.  There was even a slight inflammation of veins that ran along my right thigh until the mid-section. But I told her that it seems to have subsided when I started to take the Vitamin B+ complex again.  Well, I told her that I stopped taking that prescription for about a couple of days and maybe that's why I had this pain.

And thinking further after she's gone, I thought that maybe this is also the reason why the nurses had a hard time looking for a good vein for my IV.  It might have caused my veins to shrink and not have enough vitamins to regenerate and be healthy again.

I was awake before the second bottle was even hooked.  This is strange because the past few cycles, I awoke when the second bottle was almost done.  I guess I was up earlier this time because I felt hungry.  See, I had an early lunch this day and that may have been the reason why I felt hungry early, too, hehehehe...

Admitting Day: Getting the IV in was harder this time.

At the ER, upon admission, we found out that I had a slight fever, it was only 37.5C and they were asking me if I already took Paracetamol and I said I didn't.  I didn't even know I had a fever.

Then, when it was time to put in the IV, they couldn't find a good vein to get it in.  This is rather unusual for me.  All the nurses that I have been with ever since 2009 told me that even if I'm fat, it's not very hard to look for one.  And now, this.  Well, the nurses, as well as my oncologist (later told me), that one of the effects of chemotherapy is that your veins somehow shrink because of the medicines.

It took them a while to look for a possible good one, and it took them two attempts to finally get the needle in.  The first one bulged.  And so, I am off to my room.

My BFF Reysie, who has been taking me to the hospital since I started, was there.  And as usual, we have another photo-ops.  (Oh, she missed the third cycle because she was somewhere out of town).

It was rather late when we finally settled in to the room.  The room smelled of Albatross and I had the utility took it off because I didn't want the smell.  I ate dinner rather late since I wanted to have the smell completely off the room before I eat.

The strange thing is I was feeling very, very sleepy even before "Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin" and was actually in deep sleep halfway.  It's not that I am religiously following this teleserye.  I was just trying to establish a sense of time (and I hope I am not being defensive since I know that Remedios already died and Lora is about to move into the Del Tierro mansion). Well, truthfully, when at home, I am usually in the bedroom right after "One Hundred Days to Heaven," which I am religiously following.  Sometimes, if I've had enough afternoon rest, I could still stay until "Minsan Lang."  There.

Anyway.

Come midnight, when they were about to give my the steroids, I complained of the pain on the IV, and we discovered a bulge.  This meant that they had to remove this and look for another vein.  After about several minutes of looking and two more bulges, they finally found another vein.  A few minutes later, I had to ask for a spleen to keep my wrist from moving too much.  I was afraid to cause another bulge and will not be able to find another vein just in time for my chemotherapy.

And I slept well until 5:30 a.m.

Room 301. Cycle 4

Just got home from my chemotherapy cycle 4. As usual, I am a little tired and sleepy. But I guess not that much since I was still able to upload the photos.

More photos later since I was in the mood to take more photos from the hospital this time.

Getting Ready for Cycle 4

I called the lab earlier today to find out the result.

And they're all good.

So, this means that I'd be off early evening to get admitted to the hospital.

And once again, I'm off the internet hook for two days.  I wanted to ask the hospital if they are connected but my outdated laptop won't even log in to our connection here at home.  It says the signature has expired yaddah, yaddah, yaddah....  I may need to have it reformatted, but that's not one of my priorities right now, and that won't be for quite a while.

Anyway.

I hope to write more about more things other than my chemotherapy when I get back.  But I think I'd skip with PGT Season 3 since I wasn't able to start it from the beginning.  I think this time I'll miss posting videos of those talents that I believe have potential.  I was able to see the whole show last night and I only saw one that has potential.  That group that was pole-dancing and was flying up in the air.  But I don't think I'd be able to stand watching more since they're doing it this way:  one talent, one hundred commercials.  And that is something that will really eat my patience, especially when I have just gone through a cycle.