Post #74: Down a bit but heading back up!

Hello Everyone!

Anita underwent 3-1/2 hours of Rituxan treatment yesterday. It was not the greatest session in that the atmosphere at the treatment center was depressing, given the condition of some of the other patients (such as an 18-year old boy being treated for lupus). Also, being that it was her last Rituxan treatment, Anita was rather impatient to get it over and done with. Rituxan is administered via a slow-drip method and it seemed to take forever! So not too surprisingly, she didn't feel, shall we say, her usual upbeat self nor at her most charming either while she was there or later when she got home. She was "grouchy, not feeling so hot, and went to bed!" Well, I say she's totally justified in feeling grouchy and anything else after all she's been through!

However, her spirits and how she is feeling seem to be starting to turn around today. When I talked with her she was busy preparing for a small dinner party at home tonight to celebrate the inauguration of the new patio! The concrete is all poured, the forms are coming off today and Anita and John plan to serve drinks outside on it before having dinner indoors. And what a dinner it will be! Anita is preparing pork roast stuffed with prune dressing, potatoes in olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and parsley, sweet & sour red cabbage, broiled tomatos dipped in Italian dressing and topped with feta cheese, not to mention big "granddaddy biscuits" and gravy for the roast. Getting hungry yet folks?! The guests are bringing champagne to help celebrate, so it should be an upbeat evening for her. She is wisely taking a long nap this afternoon in order to be rested and ready.

Anyhow, when I called she was busy chopping up ingredients in the kitchen and getting all the dishes prepared. And this the day after the Rituxan treatment and waking up at midnight with indigestion! She truly is amazing. Anyhow, she expects to follow the same pattern she has after all of her previous Rituxan treatments. She will feel lousy for a few days and then start daily feeling better and better. After yesterday there will be no more Rituxan and only one more chemo treatment to go!! That will be on October 3rd. Following the last chemo, she will have another contrast cat scan to see how she's doing. As she says - and as we all say - REMISSION is what she's headed toward! What a miracle to be getting ever closer to that point!

Melissa