Treatment Du Jour

Well, today I'm a pincusion again. It's been a long time since I have had to say that. One thing that's been nice about using only supplements is that it doesn't involve needles. Of course, it also wasn't showing us the results we wanted, either, so I suppose there's a trade-off in there somewhere. I'm on day two of my stay at Oasis of Hope Hospital in scenic Tijauana, Mexico, and today treatments began.Treatments haven't been terrible though, certainly not in the way I have come to expect with anything called a treatment. I also had a CT scan this morning and a physical examination with a very kind doctor who calls me "Dear" when he's speaking to me. In all, it's been a busy and, at times, difficult day.

My preparation for the CT started at bedtime last night with a 3-cup pitcher of contrast mixed in orange juice (really good, fresh-sqeezed oj). It was just slighlty bitter. I was surprised to have it that early, but they assured me that would give it plenty of time to get where it needed to go. Surprisingly, the contrast was nothing like the chalky, foamy contrast used for all my previous CT scans, and fortunately, the rest of the experience was nothing like my previous CT's either. Those of you who have had the unfortunate experience of accompanying me to one of those tests is aware that I usually spend the remainder of the day in bed, and that I am bloated and nauseous and miserable for at least 4-6 after. This CT was a much kinder variety.

Like I said, I started the contrast last night, and then they brought me some more early this morning, around 8 or so. Actually, in an American hospital, that would be mid-morning, since they bring you breakfast at 7. So I guess that wasn't too bad. And the nice thing is that I could drink the contrast sitting in the recliner in my room, rather than a waiting room. A few minutes into my drink, a nurse came and put in an IV line for the CT. He didn't have much to work with in my veins, and the first attempt hit a nerve (literally!), shooting pain throughout my hand and wrist. His second try resulted in a line we could use. Then he told me they would come for me in 45 minutes.

I passed my time reading, and before long they came to get me for the scan. I was led to a room with the scanner in it and helped onto the narrow table that slides into the scanner. Though I had to take off my jacket, I was in my own clothes, including drawstring pants, and I did not have to undress and put on a gown. I was there for maybe ten minutes total, during which time they injected an IVcontrast and had me drink one last cup of the OJ contrast. It was fast and painless, and the contrast did not make me violently ill like all the other times. I did have a bit of trouble with that last cup of contrast coming back up when I stood up there at the end. I could tell waiting for the elevator up one floor to my room that the juice had been too much in my otherwise empty stomach, and when I arrived in my room I ran straight to the toilet and got rid of that last cup. I felt pretty rotten, but only for a few minutes. Then I had to go find some breakfast so I could start my supplements for the day.

After my breakfast was the physical exam performed by the doctor who did my history yesterday. I have no clue what his name is, though I asked him to say it repeatedly. He was very nice and apparently found everything where it belonged because he didn't have too much to say other than to explain how my treatments would be.

My next treatment was the ozone therapy, where they took out a pint or so of blood, oxygenated it somehow, then treated it with UV light, then put it back in. It lasted only about 30 minutes and was very relaxing. I am scheduled to do that again in the morning.

After I had lunch they came and accessed my port so they could use it for the rest of my treatments. I had a really hard time when they accessed it, so bad that I again got physically ill. I guess it reminded me of when I used to have to take home the fanny pack and have chemo at home all weekend. Some of you knew how traumatic that was, and some of you probably don't because I tried very hard not to let it bother me. Anyway, today when I smelled the alcohol swab and the plastic patch that goes over it, I lost my lunch (made it to the toilet again, though). I don't know why certain smells have to do that to me. I felt much better after. Maybe in this pleasant atmosphere, I can override my previously negative attitudes toward certain smells.

Since having the port accessed I have been having the remaining treatments, and those have been uneventful. I am on an oxygen catheter (as they call it) to inhale pure oxygen during the treatments because apparently several of the treatments I'm on use oxygen to increase the effectiveness. Apparently that's something cancer cells don't handle well. I have met several people in the last 2 days that are in various stages of their own cancer battles, and many are hearing great news about the progress of their treamtments. It gives me hope that we will beat this too. It's looking good so far. It this is as hard as the treatments get, I know I can take it easily. The hardest thing today has been facing the unknown, and now that I know what at the treatments are, I can plan my days a little more easily. Now, it is getting late and we are going to watch a movie that we brought. I may update again tomorrow, if there is anything new to tell you. It will probably be a lot like today. Like Kristi said to me in a chat we had, "sleep, take supplements, eat, sleep, take some more supplements..." that's about the extent of it for the next few days!

Take care ouf yourselves and keep in touch!