Post #36: Rituxan Smuxan!!

Hello Everyone!

Sorry you had to wait all afternoon for the update, so cut to the chase: Anita is doing FANTASTICALLY!!!! You would not believe her! (I think I've typed that sentence at least 10 times in the past couple of weeks.)

First off she was up and cranking early. Had 1/2 papaya, 1/2 piece of toast with butter, OJ, coffee and all of her vitamins (Multi, B-Complex, B-12, B-6, Selenium). No nausea, no pain but she has had stuffed up sinuses for the past couple days. She also had some shortness of breath.

Off we went to the treatment center for her "appointment" at 10:00 a.m. (We've discovered that an appointment there is a very fluid concept - she didn't go in until 11:00!) Walking into the clinic, she had to stop to catch her breath, but it was not as bad as the first time that happened to her. There was no gasping but she did have to sit down and recover a bit before she walked into the front door. During her treatment John and I both went out to do errands (separate cars), but John returned to the clinic to stand by while she finished up. Once in, they administered the following combination: Decadron 10 mg IV, Benadryl 50 mg IV, and Rituxan 500 mg IV. About 35 to 40 minutes into the treatment she started getting nauseated. So they put something into her IV to control the nausea and it knocked it right out. She was finished at 3:10 p.m. When she stood up from her treatment, she was not out of breath!

During the treatment she said she read an entire New Yorker magazine. In it, she found a great cartoon which showed a doctor in his office at his desk with a patient sitting opposite. The caption reads: "I'm a doctor. I can add "-ectomy" to any word I choose!" So Anita ripped out the cartoon and wrote a note on it to her oncologist that said " Dear Doctor, any chance that you can do a B-1-Cell lymphoma-ectomy to save my hair?" She gave the edited cartoon to her doctor's assistant to give to him. For the eleventh time, can you believe her?!!! Anyhow, I think the Doctor's day has been significantly improved. How many of his patients would have that kind of attitude I wonder?!!!

So, after she got out of there, she and John went . . . NO not home . . . they went out to look for an artificial plant for the master bedroom (which Anita just last week rearranged). Got home finally around 4:30 p.m (with plant in tow) and Anita proceeded to prepare lunch! First she ate a 1/2 cup of baby carrots and 6 bites of filet mignon. Then she made a big salad. A whole tomato, whole avocado, lettuce and Anita's Secret Homemade Vinagrette Recipe. She ate a whole bowlful of it!!!

Meanwhile, I was out shopping, getting some items for Anita as well as some things for me. I was standing in the Penneys luggage department (they have a great sale going on right now) when the phone rang. It was Mama informing me that she had just got home and was resting. When she found out I was at a department store, her voice jumped excitedly and she exclaimed: "Go to the curtain department and check out the window sheers. They're on sale and I need to see samples to see what will look good in the master bedroom. You know the color scheme in that room so look for . . . . . [You all get the picture!] !!!" So I bought my suitcase and headed over to the curtain department. Found a selection of sheers in different shades and patterns, bought them, stuffed them into the suitcase and away I rolled!

Needless to say, when I got home with the treasures, Mama was ecstatic. She quickly started pulling sheers out of their packages, found one type she really liked, and then walked into the master bedroom (calling us to follow her) so that she could see what it would look like! During all this she had a couple sips of beer and some chips. Again, no nausea, no pain, and slightly stuffed up sinuses. It seems almost impossible that she underwent cancer treatment today.

Of course, she is not 100%. There may well be side effects from this Rituxan drug that won't manifest themselves for a while. She mentioned a few moments ago that she really hopes there are no big side effects to this. In the meantime, it is so joyful to see her like this. Talking, planning, DOING!!! As only Anita can do. So far, I would bet my bottom dollar that she is well on the way to complete remission. I have a feeling in my bones, in my gut, and in my heart that that is so. May I be right!!!

Melissa