Chapter 4 - Change of Chemo program

After the Oscar Scan, we were told to start the new medication as soon as we had it all.  What that means is that I am supposed to take a generic Zofran pill 30 minutes before taking the new chemo pill, Temozolomide, which is a generic version of Temodar.  The manufacturer also recommend that I take the Temozolomide on an empty stomach. I do this for 5 days, then rest for two.  Do this for three weeks and then go see the Doctor.  Friday afternoon late (Dec 20) we got the second of the two types of medicine.  However, being an irresponsible pill-taker, and having a hard time holding to a schedule, I decided things might work best if we start on Monday.  This we did.   Following a change of this nature everything that seems new or different is suspect, so it is best to wait a day or two before declaring that this is a side effect.  I think after 5 days we now can say that we are experiencing some definite side effects from the new medicine.  Can't say that we can detect any useful effects.  I guess that will have to come later.  What we have seen so far is not very pleasant.  Let me explain:

Monday night/Tuesday morning I woke up around midnight in a state of delirium.  I could recognize my surroundings, but could not shake the notion that there were things to be done, and  they were all going in the wrong direction.  At the time, I knew that everything I was thinking was nonsense but it seemed like there was nothing I could do about it.  The same nonsense was there whether I closed my eyes or not, if I tried to sleep or get up.  I felt trapped and could not escape.  LaRue was sleeping through all this, and for some reason I chose not to wake her.  Asleep or awake, this went on for two or three hours.  I finally got back to a real sleep, and when I woke, I realized that I had had a rough night.  Tuesday night/Wednesday morning somewhat past midnight, the same kind of thing happened.  This time I woke LaRue and she talked me into going downstairs to see if eating something might help the process.  It kind of did, but that seemed to just make the milder form of delirium last longer.  By the next night I was convinced that this trip to la-la land was courtesy of the new medication.  This was confirmed when the morning came following the night of no Temozolomide and there was no trace of my former destinations, the source of my transport was totally confirmed.  

Now I have just breezed past the important days of the year, and some of the best days of my life.  Tuesday was Christmas Eve day, and a couple of our families came to spend the evening with us.  It was wonderful.  We had a good meal and went through the Christmas story.  I told the grandkids how we heard my dad read that same story to us three little boys as we were growing up.  Christmas day, three other families were here with us. Another wonderful meal and more opportunities to visit and share stories and feelings about the Savior.  Christmas is not only about giving, or sharing.  It is not only about His birth . . . because if He had not fulfilled His destiny through a sinless life and His sacrifice in all that He did, His birth would have and no meaning.  I am so grateful that He finished the work the Father had given him, and that He completed the atonement.  So I say now that Christmas is all about receiving - the deliberate action on our part of reaching out to the Savior, and accepting the atonement by making ourselves worthy to be called His disciples. 

 Now to continue my run-down of the day-time events of the week: The next day (Boxing Day, the 26th, or whatever you choose to all it), all four daughters were here doing some sewing and other stuff, and at my request, sang several songs to me.  They all sing well, and they blend together so nicely it was an extraordinary treat to hear them sing a few songs that have meant a lot to me.  It seems unreal to me that the days just described were connected to the nights that I mentioned earlier. 

Time and events are moving along.  At an accelerated pace.  Life is wonderful.  More later.