When I arrived at the hospital today, Brian was totally packed up, closet emptied, recycling lined up (yes, even when in the hospital eco-boy recycled). He'd gotten the nurses to get his discharge papers even at the last drop of chemotherapy was dripping into the bag.
He even showered once his port was deaccessed...
Now, I can't say I am surprised, even when he was on chemo before, he always had one foot out the door. But he would be cranky and generally unpleasant and with the exception of a few of the nurses (who really got to know him) they were glad to see him go.
The new Brian leaves me looking for air like a fish out of water. Charming, pleasant, communicative...who knew when I was teaching him manners he was actually listening. I was stunned, shocked and quite frankly down right impressed. After all...Brian does has aspergers as well as cancer.
We had some "issues" to deal with, the hows and whys of getting the prescriptions filled being the main one. While two were covered under the $4.00 Walmart plan, the zofran and the levaquin are very expensive. Crazy expensive on the zofran, but I knew that already. After all I donated tons of it to the cancer clinic when Brian finished chemotherapy years ago, and it was about $4000.00 for a months supply. It's less than that now, but still very expensive. So I had 2 choices (and not getting the medication for Brian was NOT one of them). I used my "one time only" and had the drugs filled at the hospital's expense, but I only get to use that one once, so I am taking the chance that he will need them again before the medicaid paperwork gets finished and he can hopefully get some rx. coverage. But in the meantime, I will definitely be Ebay(ing) for that next time. Just as soon as I get 5 minutes....
Tomorrow we have to go back for labs, then saturday we have to go back for a neulasta injection. (That is the solution to the previous mentioned neupogen problem), then labs again monday, wednesday, friday....next week...
so each drive back and forth to the hospital is 135 miles....sigh....did I mention how insane the drivers on rt 33 are??....
see these are the as always crazy unexpected expenses...(my car does not get very good gas mileage, but I love it anyhow) gas here is $2.79gal ( today) (AND I HAVE TO PUMP IT MYSELF???) okay first big thing I miss about NJ.....
oh well....it will work out cause there just isn't another option...
I promised Brian lunch on the way home from the hospital...it's always our standing deal...he gets to go out to lunch on the way home from the hospital and he doesn't complain about the rest of the time he has to stay home and can't go out in public or he has to wear a mask. And he doesn't complain about the hospital food too much.... (trust me, it's worth the lunches)
So naturally he wanted MEAT....he always did before and it seems this time with the chemo it is the same...he really craves protein. So we stopped at Texas Longhorn Steakhouse. We never ate there before, but except for Brian's lunches, we don't eat out very often. (Stephanie works in a restaurant and certainly doesn't want to go out to eat..). Anyhow in this economy it's not really in the budget.
The food was good, and the wait staff pleasant. Brian enjoyed his steak, although I know he is fighting nausea, but he never did let that come between him and his food. I know he enjoyed the outing.
He took a stroll about the court when he got home, took a quick walk outback in the woods a few feet (supervised he was starting to feel weak and tired). Then he pretty much crashed in front of the TV until he went to bed.
He'll start to feel more tired in the next few days...and I'd expect to start to see the hair thin as well. I have a feeling that might be more of an issue then it was last time...just a feeling....we'll see...
But it is good to have him home. Very good.
Special thanks to Joyce who sent him a little electronic yahtzee game. Great for those times that even travel yahtzee can't be played....like on the drive back and forth the hospital...
Special thanks to Susan V. at the hospital for helping get the prescriptions today.
Special thanks to the nurses and techs and aides at the hospital for taking care of Brian.
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