Wanted to check in. My first infusion was Monday. It was ABSOLUTELY HORRID. Took 5 attempts to get the IV started. I felt so bad for the nurses. They were so sure they would have no trouble with me cause my veins looked "small, but OK". I explained to them it wasn't an issue of getting the IV started, it was hoping that it wouldn't blow once it was started. Each time, they got it right in and got good blood return, but as soon as they pumped saline in, it would blow. They ended up having to go in the super sensitive spot under my wrist. I got there at 8 am, they finally got the IV in at 9:30. They started with Benadryl and then I had to sit for 20 minutes, then they did an IV drip of a nausea medication and then had to sit for about 20 minutes, so the Rituxan was started about 10:15. at about 11:30, I started feeling like I was going to be sick, so they stopped the Rituxan and had me eat some crackers and then waited about 30 minutes before restarting as well as gave me Zofran by mouth. After 30 minutes, they started it back up again, but reduced the rate of the iv drip. I was doing ok, but then, at about 12:30 I started throwing up uncontrollably. Every 5 minutes. So they stopped the infusion again, and said they would wait a bit, and see how I did. I couldn't stop getting sick, every 5-10 minutes. At some points I was throwing up so bad, I couldn't catch my breath. After about 45 minutes of this, the nurses decided they needed to have my doctor come up, because they hadn't seen anyone have this severe of a reaction before and they wanted her to see it because, otherwise she wouldn't understand how severe it was. My doctor came up about 2:00 and immediately stopped the infusion completely. She had them give me straight fluids in the IV to try to flush the meds out as quickly as we could because I was having a severe allergic reaction to the Rituxan. All I wanted to do was go home and I couldn't because I was dropped off by my brother and wasn't being picked up until 5ish by hubby (this was suppose to be a 6-8 hour process, remember) because being so late in the year, he had no vacation time to use to be there with me. Then he got stuck in rush hour traffic, so He didn't get there until almost 6. I continued to be sick every 5-10 minutes for 5 hours straight. They had to take me out to the car in a wheel chair cause I couldn't quit being sick long enough to walk down to the car. Although, I think the fresh air really helped a lot, because even though hubby had to lift me into the car while I was throwing up, once I was in and the car was moving and the window was down a bit, It slowed down quite a bit. It was an hour and 30 minute drive home and I only got sick 4 times in the car. Then, by the time I got home, 7:30ish, I had finally stopped enough that I was able to walk into the house and straight up to bed. Hubby had to go behind me cause I almost lost my balance several times going up our steps. I had a headache soooo bad that if my head was wood, it would have been split in half. It was so bad I couldn't get to sleep. I was actually able to sip enough water to get a tylenol 3 down which cut the headache enough that I was finally able to fall asleep. Yesterday I hurt so bad and I think I pulled a couple muscles from being so sick. I pretty much just laid on the coach and didn't move. I have not been able to eat ANYTHING. Even the smell of food is making my stomach turn. I have been able to drink water and I made some Orange Juice Ice cubes which I have been munching on. I thought I was feeling a lot better today when I woke up, but after doing 1 load of laundry, putting a load of dished in the dish washer, and just sweeping the kitchen floor, I felt like I had been hit by a mac truck and have been sitting down with my water and blanky since. I spoke with an Infusion nurse yesterday when they called me and they asked me if I had any allergies to Weasel or Mice? Who would EVER think that if you have allergies for furred animals that it would affect you with medications? They always ask you, "Do you have any allergies to medications?". But when do they ask you "Do you have any allergies to Weasel or Mice?" In all the paper work that I signed/read, never once did they ask me this of anything other than "allergic to any medications". I always put it in my medical history, under the allergies part (Allergies-Seasonal -dust, dander, pollens, rag weeds, oak, and most animals) If they would have asked me this prior to, It would have thrown up a red flag and I would have said "wait a minute, I'm allergic to almost all furred animals"
So after this long story....No more Rituxan for me. I go back to my specialist Nov 28th and see what the next game plan is. I am almost afraid to try anything else.
I don't know if it is still possible, but will be sending you a PM with my guesses on your pictures as soon as I get caught up between falling asleep . I haven't been reading the in between stuff, just been scrolling through to read the TR pages and will go back later to peak at the joyful banter!
I like mine almost still mooing....
I did get better... promise! Food pix are coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The sting ray was so big!!!! I love the little face they have underneath that you can see when they swim. Very cool things.
But your TR is just what I need right now.
