No Joke One More Week

Bill here...

The Jeff Foxworthy joke goes something like this: “If you mow your front yard and you find a car, You may be a Redneck…” The Tracy-corollary is: “If you cut off all of your hair and you find a set of Viking horns, You may be a Chemo patient…”

Today was “Chemo Teach” day with Sarah in the Infusion unit. Everything you need to know about what may happen, why, because of what chemical, and what to expect… More documentation, more information, another binder to add to the pile, and – more prescriptions for things to keep you from getting sick from taking the things that make you sick so that you can get better. We also got a tour of the “Infusion Pod”. One of the voices in my head started screaming “DON’T FALL ASLEEP!!!!!”. Again - if I *have* to keep explaining all of these very obvious references - I will just insist on becoming more tangential. The excersice will be left up to the student...

My high point today – learning how to pronounce “Bevacizumab”. (think: Beelzebub” – and if that one confounds you – sing the words (to yourself, please) to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody… ) It’s trade name is “Avastin” (think: Piratespeak), and is the primary component of a Stage III clinical trial we (there I go again with the “we” thing) opted into today. If you have trouble getting to sleep, click here: http://www.cancer.gov/search/ViewClinicalTrials.aspx?cdrid=528955&version=HealthProfessional&protocolsearchid=8248006

Our collective low-point was learning that we need to push our start date out ANOTHER WEEK!!! Arrrggghhh! (See "Avastin - above...). Aparently this stuff is custom made to order and not done at EH, but shipped in. Crap. The planning is more involved for the extra med. Planning in general is the name of the game.