A Clinic Day

Here is a look at a typical clinic day for us.  Derek was scheduled to begin a new round of treatment including an LP with sedation and chemo if his counts were high enough.

Kristen exercising while Lindy prances by.

Morning time with God

Dory enjoying the sun.

Derek is not taking lessons, but he likes to practice just the same.

Breakfast

Derek and I aren't eating. He can't because he is scheduled to be sedated for his lumbar puncture.  I choose not to in sympathy with him.  We'll eat when he is finished.

Cody wants someone to throw the ball for him.  Sorry, no time this morning.

Lindy wants someone to throw the chenille stick spiral for her.  Sorry, no time this morning.

Ready to walk out the door, we stop to put lidocaine cream on his port so it doesn't hurt when they access it at the clinic.

Putting a band-aid on so it doesn't rub off on his clothes.

Finally in the car. A little late, but we will have to wait at the clinic for quite a while.

Kristen does some knitting as we fight our way through traffic.

Brake lights all around. The disadvantages of morning freeway travel.

Finally called back after waiting in the waiting area half an hour. Ready for vitals.

Temperature, pulse-ox, blood pressure, all at once.

We read books while waiting in our curtained cubicle for the nurse to access his port and draw labs.

Accessing his port

The tray with all the stuff needed to access his port and draw labs.

Derek helps the nurse draw blood once his port is accessed.

Now waiting some more for the lab results.

And waiting.  May as well take a nap.

Finally, we get the results.  His ANC is only .6.  It needs to be .75 before he can begin the next round.  Everything else is fine.  He won't have an LP today.  He has gone all morning without food for nothing this time. We will wait until next week and do it all again. We'll skip one medication on the weekend that pulls his ANC down. Hopefully then his ANC will be high enough to qualify.

Finally, he gets the clearance from the nurse to eat.

Snacking on almonds while we wait for the doctor check-up.

Doctor check-up completed. Finally de-accessed, and out of the clinic.

We stop at Taco Bell to get lunch...

and at Vince's office to share lunch with him.

That evening, we are all home again and eating supper.  Derek is happy to be eating. He chooses to have cereal since he didn't get any this morning.

Ending the day with a Bible story.

Then a ski ride to bed...

with a stop in the kitchen for meds.  Just ten pills tonight, that's all.

Derek swallows them with some home-made apricot sauce.

Kristen gets a ski ride, too.

Good-night song and hugs and snuggles

Kids in bed.

Now do you have time to play?  Sure, Lindy.