A Nasty Cold and Preparing for the Next Round

You'd think that a person with cancer would get a pass on ordinary stuff, but Vicki came down with a cold around Thanksgiving. She was very careful about going out and about, but it's everywhere at this time of year so short of staying hermetically sealed in a bubble it's pretty hard to avoid. It progressed into a case of bronchitis so the docs got her going on antibiotics and she's starting to feel better.

Chemo goes after all the fast growing cells in the body. While that's good for killing cancer, it does a number on fast growing healthy tissues such as hair, skin, and mucus membranes. Late this week Vicki will start a series of injections which will help build up the mucus membranes in her mouth, nose, and throat. The purpose is to limit the extent of the sores that are expected during this next intense chemo.

This week Vicki learned that she'll need another catheter in her neck, similar to the one she needed during the stem cell harvest. This was upsetting news because the previous one was painful, but the transplant coordinator assured her that this one will be better. This is necessary because the catheter in the neck provides more access to larger vessels making it possible for her to receive fluids, transfusions, medications, and intravenous feedings all at once.