post-chemo so far

[scarfman]

qtrhorserider had her first chemo session Wednesday (I thought I already blogged this followup, but apparently not), scheduled at 10:00. Originally we were told she'd be in the oncology center for a coupla hours because they prep the meds ahead of time. Then it developed last week that, for the health coverage through my job to pay, she'd have to actually check into the hospital (the oncology people say lots of coverage works this way nowadays) where they don't prep the session till you arrive, so it'd be four or five hours instead of two or three. Then once we arrived they had trouble finding a vein in her right arm. Then the IV in her right arm went bad because we were there long enough to eat lunch. Then they looked in her left arm and it worked out right away, where the veins are better but they'd been trying to avoid that because that's the side where the surgery was. In the end the two-to-three hour actual chemo part of the proceedings didn't start till about 14:00. After dinner was served at 17:00 I left for an hour because the followup meds were called into the pharmacy that's only open till 19:00. But by the time I got back about 18:15 she was done.

Then, because the treatment and/or the followup meds (I find I'm not clear on that part) are slightly caustic and bad for kidneys, we had to set my cellphone alarm for every three hours during the night so she can go to the bathroom, and this goes on for the whole time she's doing chemo. Makes me wonder what they haven't mentioned yet about the radiation therapy after chemo's done.

Comments

[billroper]

I'm sorry that qtrhorserider is having to go through this and that the insurance is making things more complex. It would seem like having to check into the hospital would only make it cost the insurance company more, but some things are simply not sane...

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Modern Medicine would work so much better if the humans employing it could get their act together...

[kaffy_r]

I hope that the chemo schedule becomes more smooth; I'm sorry that you're having to put up with the vagaries of insurance requirements at the same time you're dealing with treatment. I hope that qtrhorserider's chemo is as successful, and as unexpectedly not unpleasant as that of a RL friend of mine. An awkward sentence, but my friend's chemo had few, if any, side-effects, while being very effective. May the same prove true in your neck of the woods!

[fisher-queen.livejournal.com]

It's really irritating and awful that during this rough time, the insurance company is making it worse for you guys with their rules like this. I hope that things settle into a more manageable routine now that Scarfwife has been to one appointment.

I remember my first visit to the infusion center for other treatment went the longest, and after that, things were MUCH more manageable. I'm thinking about you guys during this time and wishing you all the best.

[hergrace.livejournal.com]

Thanks for keeping us updated, Paul. Keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers. She is fortunate in having you there for her.

[outsdr.livejournal.com]

I hope all goes well; my best wishes to you both.