Whoa...

cu·mu·la·tive
Pronunciation: 'kyü-my&-l&-tiv, -"lA-
Function: adjective
1 a : made up of accumulated parts b : increasing by successive additions

It's the 'b' definition that will give you an idea of what the last two days have been like. Nanc is definitely feeling the cumulative effect of the chemo, particularly the nausea and fatigue. She still has an appetite but is very nauseous all the time. We are staying on top of all her anti-nausea meds but, whoa, this is some serious stuff.

Yesterday was a hydration day and when she got home, she got back into bed around 6 and pretty much stayed there until I got up at 6:15 this morning. She will climb out of the hole in the next 2 days or so, but the hole has certainly gotten deeper this time around.

More hydration is scheduled for today and tomorrow, which she's fighting because the trip to and from Cedars is so draining. But Danika and I keep reminding her of the payoff at the end of the cycle and how good she felt last time. That pretty much stops the complaining...

I have been neglecting to introduce you to a very important member of her team at Cedars. Arden is a social worker who spends her days wandering around the cancer center, holding hands with patients and family, offering support, steering people to pain management and other psychological help if needed. She is part of the total care that they provide that helps turn a potentially total nightmare into something one can actually handle. I just can't imagine anyone having to go through something like this having to put up with the red tape of a big HMO. We are very grateful to have the coverage we have.

We ran into her one day in the hallway when Nanc was having a particularly bad day, nothing was going the way we had planned and she was very frustrated - ready to walk out and just quit the treatment. And who should happen down the hallway but Arden. That serendipity thing again!

Anyway, her calming effect was almost immediate and everything worked out, obviously. We just don't know where we'd be right now without people like her and all the angels at Cedars and beyond. Help comes from so many unexpected places it continues to amaze...

xoxo