Jimmy just finished his 2nd cycle of chemo today. The first three days were fairly easy with little to no side effects. He had a touch of nausea the first day, took his medication, and that was it, until last night. Yesterday Jimmy started to have some numbness and tingling in his hands and fingers, it wasn't too bad, so we just chalked it up to another side effect and didn't give it much thought. Today when we went to chemo and Jimmy responded to the litany of questions he is asked before every chemo appt, he told the dr about his hands. We found out that it's a side effect of Vancristine that can go from bad to worse quickly, potentially spreading to other body parts and paralysis. Typically, when Jimmy has problems during chemo, it's due to this same drug, so it's not something to be taken lightly.
An hour into chemo, he developed numbness in his lips and tongue, while that could potentially provide comic relief for me for the day, it's not a good sign. Dr Dole stated that we will see how things go during his off week, and if the situation doesn't resolve itself, the only resolution is to lower the dose of Vancristine. They would only lower the dose a minor amount, but any amount that doesn't follow the protocol of his chemo plan, compromises his cure rate. That terrifies me. However, if they don't lower the dose, it could cause him to be paralyzed. Which also terrifies me. Needless to say, I am praying that the problem vanishes while he is off the chemo drugs.
Other than that, his blood levels are lowered, but still in the healthy range. He has gained 10lbs so far, which I don't really see, but he could definitely use it. His appetite is voracious, his mood is "normal", his spirit is unbeatable.
We have numerous plans from now through the holidays until he starts his next cycle, so it looks like we will be able to attend all of them. Jimmy will be sporting his cool hats and I will be carrying a grateful heart for a fantastic kid.
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