With Doug having more difficulties this past week, I think we were less prepared for today. Before coming the information said this is a 28 day treatment and so we assumed we would be involved in active treatment up until the last day. When we got here everyone was assigned to a group and Doug was assigned to Group One. That means we did every treatment first. The other groups will finish in order, with Group 4 ending on Friday. We actually have a couple of days to recover and get more support in the event Doug has any more difficulties. I don't think that will be necessary. He is definitely on the path to healing.
And so we met our group at 11:30 and took our final trip to the Clinic. It was bittersweet. We have become very close to this group, going through this pivotal experience in our lives together. We shared hope, fear, uncertainty, sickness and friendship. Daily when we were in isolation we were all still in communication several times a day through Facebook Groups and Messenger. We all feel an investment in each other. We will miss each other.
Though the day was bittersweet because of the loss of these new friends, it is still very exciting. We did it! We made it! We tackled all the odds to get here. We are on a path to healing. This is the first time any of these patients or as Kirsten likes to say "Stemmies", have felt like this disease has been stopped. This feels like hope.
Because the day was so full I have decided that I will only share half of the day in the blog tonight. We did not get home until late. We have just finished dinner and it is 9:15 and we are tired. So I have decided to share the schedule of the day and the details about the final infusion of Rituximab. Tomorrow I will share our discharge consultation with Dr. Ruiz.
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| With our chemist Martin and his assistant |
The schedule for the day began early with Martin, coming to collect blood samples and to check vitals. Then Doug got a shower and we left for the clinic at 11:30. Once arriving at the Clinic, we met individually in consultation with Dr. Ruiz. He has been especially interested and concerned about Doug because of his cough and weakness. He made a special point of greeting Doug and asking him about how he is feeling now. After our consultation we went upstairs to the chemotherapy room and settled in for the final infusion of Retuximab. This infusion was scheduled to take 3 hours. And it did take that full amount of time.
The group all settled into the same chairs they had chosen the first day of chemotherapy. Even though no one wants an IV infusion, there was joy and happiness in the group. This is the last infusion and everyone was able to have the infusion today. That meant that all in our group have responded as expected to treatment and every ones blood work met the criteria for the final infusion. We started as a group and we were going to end as a group.
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The last two days, the nurses have had some difficulty getting a vein for taking a blood sample from Doug and then today for the final infusion. Doug was very patient and very positive with the nurses. They felt bad that they were having a difficult time. Doug said he had given so much blood that he did not have any blood left. Eventually, the needle was inserted and the infusion began.
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| Nurses trying to get a vein |
On the wall there is large map of the world and on that map people have placed pins from where they are from. At the end of the infusion we put our pins in the map. We are the first from Idaho to receive treatment at Clinical Ruiz. We proudly put our pin on the map and celebrated everyone else as they placed their pins in Norway (2), Sweden, France, Australia, and the United States (2), What a blessed moment.
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| First patient in Idaho |
Then Marianne called us all to attention. She had a stack of boxes with bows, that she called an early Christmas present. There was a gift for each patient. They all enthusiastically opened their gifts. They all received very special toiletries for skin care. It was very thoughtful .All our brave patients need time to now pamper themselves a little bit. They have been through a lot.
Then Marianne brought in postcards for everyone. The cards were symbols of Puebla including one card with the beautiful Catholic cathedral and the other of the volcano with the stunning catholic church that sits on top of the old Aztec pyramid. The cards had all of the clinical staff names that participated in our treatment.
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| Add caption |
And then it was time for goodbyes. With heartfelt gratitude and warm feelings we said our last goodbyes to this wonderful staff that had so genuinely cared for all of us throughout this treatment protocol. I have never run a marathon, but I can only imagine that the experience we had today was similar. When running a marathon, I believe you start with high expectations and hope; you have prepared. And then midway through it begins to get hard, and you are not sure if you can make it. You may stumble, you may stop to rest, you may cry from the pain. But there are bystanders along the way that encourage and push you on. And finally the end is in sight. There is pain, there is exhaustion and there is a feeling of relief. But mostly there is a feeling of triumph. It is done. It is accomplished!
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| Our morning nurses and infusion staff |
And so we pray
Holy and Life giving God. We thank you for picking us up and carrying us when we are tired. We thank you for the brilliance of your creation in all it's diversity. We thank you for the opportunity and joy of living and being in community. And we thank you for the opportunity to heal. Continue in Doug and all those seeking healing, a renewal in their bodies, minds, and spirits. Cell by cell, moment by moment, and day by day, recreate them and make them well. And watch over all who provide care for their loved ones, that they may be sustained in their desire to help and be filled with hope that overflows and sustains those in need. In your name we ask it. Amen.
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Group One with Carers and Outpatient Support |
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