The day started auspiciously for Steve, with a plate of eggplant
and basil takeout from the Taiwan Café in Chinatown.
Steve agreed to let Susan, his nurse, shave his head since his
hair is rapidly falling out. As I looked at his reflection in the mirror, I had
to swallow hard to see him with so little hair. So much has happened in such a short
time. He just shook his head. But Steve is strong and he doesn’t dwell on
things that he cannot change. Besides it was time for a platelet transfusion.
A platelet infusion is fast – it takes less than a half hour (don’t
quote me). Once it finished, he started having strange sensations in his
throat, a sign of an allergic reaction to the blood. Thanks to fast action by
the nurses, he got IV medication to reverse the allergic reaction and soon felt
better and sleepy; but a constricted throat, puffy eyes and hives are a scary
thing.
Despite these events, the doctors love what’s happening to his white blood cell
count, which is still falling, indicating a good response to the chemotherapy.
Gina, it's harrowing as a friend of Steve to read about these experiences he is going through. I can only imagine it is much worse for you than for me, but I can say that I firmly believe the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen, and in spite of Steve's weakened state, I've always known him to be a quietly strong man with fantastic willpower. I'm sure he'll overcome these immediate and long-term challenges. Keep us in the loop, and stay strong!
ReplyDeleteYou are SO in the right place! You are both so brave. I do want to know how they'll manage if you need more platelets? I won't quote you. Love Love and Hugs
ReplyDeleteHoping all goes well. Thinking of you. Hopefully no need for platelets! Or the pre emptive strike?!
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