Today has been one week since treatment on 7/16/09

I didn't post anything yesterday, I will post it today.

It has been one full week since John received his chemo treatment.
This so called miracle drug has now been in his system, hopefully doing it's job, which it "appears" to be.

John's day started off pretty rocky, he knew he was to be weened off of the prednizone (another miracle drug), he would be going from 12o m to 20 m, this could be dangerous from all aspects. John contacts the Fain Center where his doctor and nurse are. They are pretty certain in their instructions, take 20 m once a day for the next week. John follows his instructions with hesitation, he doesn't know what is going what kind of reaction his body is going to have to this drastic change in medication. Anyone who knows someone who has ever taken prednizone, it is a strong medication.

I proceed to go to work after John eats his breakfast, we pretty much have the same routine now. I leave for work thinking I hope everything is going to be ok. I will be sure to call him once I get to work just to be sure he is ok. I need to hear the sound of his voice, how it sounds, I can usually can tell how he feels just by the tone of his voice. Always have, ever since I have known him. The tone of his voice sounded discouraged. I know he is getting very bored. He wants to go out and be able to drive, but I think he is still unsure of himself and afraid to take the chance.
He tries to keep himself busy, the best he knows how. He has been doing these word search puzzles, they are all over the house, each with a pen stuck in the page he was working on.
He has moved on to playing solitaire on the computer, which is good at least it keeps his mind busy. He told me he was feeling pretty good, Claudia had stopped by with some dinner for him (one of his favorites-chicken parm!). He was "pumped" as he would say. I asked him if he wanted me to pick anything up on the way home from work, he said he was good.

I walk in the door from work and get my usual greeting from the best dog ever! Oliver! Daddy's little buddy! John is still playing solitaire on the computer. He had started boiling a pot of water for some maccaroni to go with the chicken parm. I make the maccaroni, put it in a bowl, heat up the chicken parm and then here it comes..."the prednizone swing" (I have named it that). John comes over to the counter looking down at the bowl of maccaroni and plate of chicken parm with a question "where is the gravy?" "NO GRAVY! OH COME ON! " At that time in his mind dinner was ruined. He takes his plate and sits down on the couch and starts swishing around the maccaroni on his plate around the chicken parm, not good. Picks up his plate and comes to the counter, slams the plate down, digs around in the chicken parm dish for some cheese, throws a piece of cheese onto his portion of chicken parm, throws the plate into the microwave and asks me "WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE DONE THAT!" I look in a daze...what? Then I think to myself...PREDNIZONE, here is the mood swing from the lack of the prednizone. I count to ten, turn away from the counter, turn back around and by that time John is back on the couch with his plate. I get my plate ready and walk over to sit with him to have dinner. "John" is back now, his evil prednizone twin has left. The mood has become almost jovil. He is now asking how my day was, what went on at work, etc. And that was dinner....

The evening is pretty much a normal evening. After dinner, I flush his lines out, (he has a pic line ) take his temp, and vitals. His vitals have been pretty consistant, there have been one or two days they have been off, but all in all they have been great.

We usually will watch some TV together until one of his favorite shows comes on, which of course is not one of mine. I always move to the bedroom, it is the norm for us. I have been falling asleep pretty early, I try to stay awake for as long as possible, doesn't always work out in my favor. John has been coming to bed a little late, this night in particular he took a shower and came to bed around midnight and slept thru the night (even over the dog wanting to go out at 2:00 a.m! Oliver!)