As the World of Joe Turns

As this weekend arrives I thought I should update how well or not so well Joe has done with the new treatment.  As you know, he began the week with treatment on Monday of his new chemo regimen of Taxol.  He did great Monday afternoon, evening, throughout the night and all day on Tuesday.  Fatique and nausea were at a minimum or non-existent.  On Wednesday morning he was once again feeling very well.  So much so, that he went for a long walk around the neighborhood early Wednesday afternoon.  Perhaps he had deluded himself of what he could handle or perhaps he just got a little carried away, but he ended up making it about a 45 minute walk, up and down the hills of our neighborhood.  Right after that, he launched into making our dinner (meatloaf) and so by the time I got home at 5:20pm, he was running a 102.1 degree fever.  He had commented that he was feeling tired, but had gone on the walk and cooking anyway.  With that fever, he knew there was no way he was going to be able to have choir practice.  But since this Sunday the children’s choir is singing, he wasn’t too upset.  He started emailing, posting on Facebook, texting and I started calling his choir members.  By 5:45pm we had contacted everyone so he felt better knowing that one of them wouldn’t show up at PGUMC just to find the doors locked.

After taking Tylenol and taking it easy, by 10pm his temp had dropped into the mid 99’s.  He did sleep well Wednesday night and woke up Thursday once again feeling pretty good.  However, by mid-afternoon, the fever was starting to inch it’s way back up reaching 100.8 by 3:30pm.  This is where Joe just doesn’t listen.  He had been told when he was in the hospital and by his oncologist and oncologist NP that he could take the Tylenol every 6 hours and in between doses he could take Ibuprophen.  So Joe, in his infinite wisdom, took Ibuprophen at 3:30 instead of Tylenol thinking that he had to alternate between the two drugs.  The Ibuprophen had little to no effect, so when he informed me of the fever, I told him to go ahead and take Tylenol since he had not had any since 7:00am Thursday morning.  He said he couldn’t.  I told him to call the triage number to verify if he didn’t believe me but that he could take the Tylenol regardless of when he had taken the other drug.  One had nothing to do with the other with regard to interval of usage.  Of course he did not believe me, but he did call.   It was then that he had to say those words that he hates: “You were right, I was wrong”.   He almost choked getting them out.  So he took the Tylenol and within an hour, his temp was coming back down to the 99’s.  However, that meant yet another week of missed Bible study.  Seems like by the time we make it back, they will be finishing Revelation.

Today, he has felt good, temp has been normal and he has been able to resume normal activities including a piano lesson and out to lunch with Mike.  Tonight I will be going to bed early as my fall allergies are kicking into high gear (thank you rain…you’ve made it worse).

Tomorrow will be a day for laundry, football on TV and maybe, just maybe a trip to HomeGoods to see if they have any new & interesting Halloween decorations.

A big thank you to the PGUMC Chancel Choir for being so understanding.  Each response was a prayer for Joe to feel better.  You are a wonderful, caring group of people (and not a cult even though some people say you are!  HAHA)  Thanks to everyone for the prayers, good wishes and supportive words and deeds.  I can sit here typing this and smile because of all of you.