The day started with an nice strong Midwestern ice storm. So going to work would be treacherous to say the least, however the weather reporters stated that if we waited until after rush hour, it would warm and the ice would turn to rain.
Sounded good to me, so I called into work letting them know that I was going to be late. Adam had chemo session at the clinic, scheduled for 10:30, so being concerned about the road conditions, I called his mother and she said seeing how it was later she would go out early and try to avoid the weather. So about the time I was about to leave for work I received a call from Adam's mother.
Adam was being very...aggressive would be an appropriate word for what he was being. He was hitting the dashboard, throwing food and using language 'unbecoming" of a teenage boy to his mother. So I decided to call out of work all together and investigate the situation.
Once we arrived at the hospital for his chemo session he was back to "normal" and we discussed the episode with his nurse practitioner, Lisa. She advised that it was very likely that he was experiencing "roid rage" due to the excessive amounts of steroids he had to take while on chemo to boost his metabolism and immunity. We knew it had to be something as this was not Adam's usual behaviour at all. So discussions proceeded regarding this issue and we were advised that he would need a psychological evaluation and that anti-depressants would probably be prescribed to counteract the effects of the steroids.
The day continued well, Adam had his chemo and tolerated it very well. We all left in one piece, and somewhat happier upon our departure than upon our arrival. It is inevitable that there are going to be good days and then there will be bad days, but if we can prevent the bad days then we should do what is needed to make those bad days as few as possible, for all of our sanity!
1 comment:
Hey Adam, My name is Lisa and my son's name is Nick, he is 20, and also has Hodgkins.
Your mom and dad's blog has hit home for me. I wish you the best during your treatment and want to say - keep your chin up. It sounds like you have a strong spirit and your attitude is good. Keep it up, it will get you far. It has for Nick.
Nick was diagnosed in mid-May with Stage 2 Hodgkins. Nick went through all the same testing series as you have. Since then we have completed chemo and he is currently undergoing radiation. After chemo we had a minor set back and learned that yet another tumor had grown on his right paratrachial node. If I did my research correctly, that is a node in the lung area. So although they managed to get rid of the original cancer, we are dealing with that now. Through all this though, Nick remains strong. Sound like someone you know? : )
Like all of you, we hope to have this behind us by the end of 2009. We hope we can say that Nick as well as yourself is cancer free.
I think the blog is a great idea. It makes Nick, his father and me feel like we are not alone and gain hope from hearing stories like yours and others. I will keep checking back to learn about your progress and offer you words of encouragement.
Keep up the good work and smile!
: )
My best,
Lisa
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