Treatments begin!

October 2, 2010

So, headed to the hospital and both Cindy and I are stunned.  I see a Berrien County cop pull up beside us on Napier and I say.  "If we got pulled over right now and a cop ask me how we were doing I would say.  Well, I just got diagnosed with Leukemia.  How is your day going?"  Sounded funny to me at the time.  We get to Lakeland and we are not sure where to park.  All I know is that I need to go to the pediatric unit and I was told that it was on the other side of the hospital.  But, just to ask someone at information and they would direct me.  We get to Lakeland around 5:30 p.m.  We park in the parking garage and of course I want to walk into the hospital.  I am really tired and Cindy is walking a little fast for me.  Of course she wants to get there.  I pull on her arm and tell her to slow down.  It is taking a lot to make the walk.  

We get inside the front entrance and no information person.  We see someone in a Lakeland uniform and ask them where the pediatric unit is and they give us directions.  We get up there and tell them my name and that they should be expecting us.  The nurses find us an empty room and get us situated.  They are very nice.  We tell them that Dr. Patel's office has arrange for me to get a blood transfusion and they seem to know that I was coming.  One of the nurses asks if I had blood drawn and I tell her earlier today.  She then ask if I know if they did a type and cross match.  Heck at first I am not really sure what a type and cross match is, then I start to remember some of the stuff that I have been reading and probably some high school biology stuff that everybody forgets over time.  I tell her I don't know.  She tells us she will go check and make some phone calls and asks if we need anything.  We ask for some water and sit down and start waiting.  

Well it is hard to remember now how long we waited.  But, it was awhile, probably about an hour.  At some point one of the nurses, I think her name was Jennifer, came in and asked if we were hungry.  She tells us that it will be awhile and gives us a menu.  Says you can order anything you guys want as long as we order before 7:00 p.m. when they close.  Just call that number and tell them you are a clinic patient and they will deliver it to the room.  Well, we had not eaten all afternoon so we ordered some food.  I had a cheese burger and it was pretty good.  So during this time they ask if I have ever had a blood transfusion?  I tell them no.  So , they start giving us information about possible side effects and all the bad stuff that can happen when you get a blood transfusion.  Oh, and of course having to sign all the consent forms for the treatment.  But, the kicker is in how long this is all going to take.  First they come back and tell us that I have to have blood drawn for the type and cross match.  That it takes awhile.  Sometimes up to two hours to get the results depending on how busy the lab is and that once they start giving blood it takes around 3 hours a pint and I am getting two pints.  We start to realize that we are in for a long haul.  

This whole time Cindy and I are talking about the girls and what needs to be done to tell them what is going on.  You see Karlye was the only one that knew what was going on and before we told anyone else we wanted to make sure that Emily and Tara heard it from us first.  After placing our food order I decided to call Tara and let her know what was going on.  This was around 6:40 and to tell you the truth it is hard to remember now writing this what all we talked about.  I know I asked how her and the kids were doing.  But, I pretty much just cut to the chase and told her what was going on.  I told her about the diagnoses, the blood transfusion and the pending appointment with Brinker in the morning.  We both managed to make it to the I love you when we said goodbye before our voice started to crack and we hung up the phone.

Cindy and I had been talking about how we were going to let Emily know.  You see she was at college and we sure didn't want to call her and have her miss class or make her so upset that she could not drive home.  So, as we talked about it we decided since it was going to be late, like three in the morning before we would get done, that Cindy would go home and check on Karlye and meet Emily at her apartment to tell her what was going on.  Since Emily didn't get out of class till around 9:00 we had a little time.

We had received our food and ate before the lab tech came to draw my blood.  I think it was around 7:30 when he showed up.  He told us that it usually only takes an hour to get the type and cross match.  So, we start waiting.  We already know that when they can't start giving me blood until this is done and that will be when the 6 hour window starts.  After that I tell Cindy to go and check on Karlye and tell Emily what is going on.  Cindy leaves and I get to read all the info about the blood transfusion and watch TV for awhile.

My nurse Jennifer, and I wish I knew her last name, was so kind and thoughtful.  She asked how I found out about having Acute Leukemia and what I was told by my doctors.  You see she tells me that she use to be an Oncology nurse and that she can get detailed information for me to read from the hospital system about what I have been diagnosed with, how it is treated and the course of treatment.  She does ask if I want the information.  She tells me that some people just don't want to know and some people want to know it all.  I tell her that I am the type of person that I want the information.  I like to know what I am dealing with and have as much detail as possible.  It helps me cope.  

Well it seems like Cindy is gone for awhile and it is getting later and later.  Still not hearing anything about the type and cross match.  8:30 goes by, and then 9:00.   Sometime after 9:00 Jennifer comes back by and ask if I have heard anything yet.  I tell her no but Chris the guy that did the blood draw said it would only take about an hour.  So, it should be done by now.  She says she will check and let me know.  By now I am wondering what is happening with Emily and how she might be taking the news.  I call Cindy and find out she is still waiting for Emily to come home.  

By now it is getting closer to 10 and my nurse Jennifer comes back in. She tells me she needs to start an IV because I need to get some meds 30 minutes before I start getting the blood transfusion   FYI. They give Tylenol and Benedryl to help control fever and allergic reactions to the blood.  Then also have to monitor your vitals and be present for the first 15 minutes in case there is a reaction.  Vitals consist of blood pressure, oxygen % and temperature.  If you spike a temp they stop. They also take vitals at specific time intervals after that and all during the blood transfusion.

Bless Jennifer's heart she tries to get an IV started.  She tries twice with no luck.  Because I am so Anemic it is difficult to get the IV started.  Also, since it is blood it has to be a bigger needle than usual.  Lucky me.  She tells me the other older nurse Genie can get an IV started in a baby and goes to get her to give it a try.  Well, Genie has to try twice also.  But, on the second time she does get it started.  By now I am starting to feel like a pin cushion.  I had been stuck with a needle so many times lately.  Six times just today so far.  Not so much fun for me.

So, IV gets started and meds start flowing.  Still waiting for type and cross match.  I think it was after 10 when they finally started giving blood.  Jennifer talked to me during those first 15 minutes and I told her how I found out.  She was surprised that I was told over the phone.  But, I told her I was O.K. with how it was done.  She knew what I was in for already being an Oncology nurse.  She got me the information and discussed some things with me about what would happen with the blood transfusion and the days ahead.  She was great.  She was kind and she cared.  I of course kept trying to get them to get the blood transfusion over with.  Asking if they could go faster.  No deal.  After awhile she finally convinced me that it probably be around 3 in the morning before we were done.  Just great when we needed to be in Grand Rapids at 8:00 a.m.  

I am not sure when Cindy finally got back to the hospital.  Maybe around 11:00 p.m.  I asked her how things went with Emily.  She said she had gone over to her friend Taylor's to study after class and that she didn't want to come home to talk to her.  She took her time I guess.  But, when she finally got to the apartment Cindy did tell her what was going on.  She said she cried and seemed stunned by the news.  But, that she wanted to see me so that after she got a shower Zane and her would be up to visit.  

It must have been around midnight when they got there and we just really sat around and talked.  We got on the subject of food and they seemed hungry.  I happen to like the Philly cheese steak sandwiches that they make in the hospital cafe.  Long story for another time on how that came about.   So Zane and Emily take off to the cafe to get something to eat and Cindy and I wait for them to come back.  They come back with food for all of us.  Although it took awhile.  Zane and I have Philly cheese steak sandwiches and Cindy and Em have some tuna stuffed tomato things.

We eat and sit around just hanging out for awhile.  We don't talk much about what is going on and it is nice to have a break from all the drama of the moment.  As it gets later it just seems like Emily doesn't want to leave.  But, knowing that we have to be there and she has to work we end up kicking them out to go home and get some sleep.

I know it was after midnight and it might have been closer to 1:00 a.m.  I am on my second pint of blood and the nurses had told me earlier to just take the opportunity to sleep while the blood was being transfused.  I think Cindy and I got about 2 hours sleep.  We get done with the transfusion and it is almost 3:30 in the morning.  We get home about 4:00 and I tell Cindy that we will just lie down for about an hour and get up to get ready to go to Grand Rapids.  Not much more sleep.  Just like a cat nap really.  We are back up around 5:30 getting showers and getting ready to head to Grand Rapids.  We are on the road around 6:30 and it is an 1 hour and 20 minute drive to Grand Rapids.  They would like us to be there 15 to 30 minutes early to fill out paperwork.  It doesn't look like we are going to make that.