The End of this Chemo Cycle

Today, Joe completed his most recent cycle of Chemo treatment.   Even though I was there it went by pretty quickly and according to plan.  At least the doctor's appointment part.  His appointment was for 8am and when they called him back at 8:20am, they realized that they had not scheduled him for lab work.  That is a BIG OOPS, since he can't have his chemo treatments if blood work has not been done and the results are not in for the doctor to call in the chemo infusion prescription.  So after having vitals taken, Joe returned to me in the waiting room until they called him back for labs and then to an exam room.  Joe (and I) have agreed to be part of another study being done at Duke, so for the next little bit, his doctor's appointments will be recorded (audio).  Since I am in there and might speak (I always talk), I had to sign off on the agreement as well.  So just before Leigh Howard came in, the lady handling the study came in and quietly placed the recording device on the table.  We were all on our best behavior since we knew we were being recorded.  Regardless, Joe got a good report and we were out of there by 9:20am.  Joe went on up to chemo and I went on to work.  Since his lab work had been done so late, he had to wait until around 10:15am before he was called to the back for the infusion, but even then he had to wait another 30 minutes or so before the chemo prescription was sent up to the center.

Next week he will have his CT scan on Thursday (Sept. 8) and then will begin his next 3 week cycle of chemo treatments on September 12th.  The doctor's appointments are already set and they are all at 7:00am, which even though is extremely early, are preferable to later in the day when things really start to get backed up.  Being local does have it's advantages.

Today before I left, I snapped this photo of the new Duke Cancer Center and the hospital expansion.  The building on the left hand side of the photo is the cancer center which is set to open in early 2012.  The expansion to the hospital, if I am correct, is set for completion the following year.

Thank you to everyone for your calls, emails, letters and prayers.  Joe and I both take great comfort in all the warm wishes we have received.