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Second I.E. Chemo for Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cancer

Second IE chemo


I learned by mistake. When Moffitt calls to say you will be admitted that evening, they don’t mean 7 or 8 o’clock. More like 10 o’clock or later. Eventually I saw how this made sense, but at the time it was another bump in the road for Mathew. He was getting so anxious anticipating the hospital stay and the chemotherapy that instead of sitting around we decided to drive down to Tampa and get something to eat figuring we would be called shortly afterward. Nope. We ended up sitting and waiting in the car. Adding to Mathew’s discomfort was not on my list of caregiver roles. I felt terrible then and again now as I write this. 

Anyway, it was quite late when we received the call and went into admitting. It only took a few minutes once we were there before we were able to go up to his room.

The following are texts between me and Arpie, Me and Diane and me and Allison.


Late night both of us exhausted. Chemo 
started at almost 5 am. Still running. He’s 
been sleeping. Has been nervous last few days.
Sent April 16 to Diane, Allison and Arpie

I know you are exhausted! Diane  or I one 
will stay tonight. I am very frustrated with
the lack of communication between departments. 
Rec’d from Arpie


Next time I will call admitting the day before to 
make sure he is on the schedule.
Sent to Arpie April 16

But it’s like Mat and I keep saying, “What if
people are not as proactive and 
aggressive as we are?”
Sent to Arpie April 16


Certainly requires determination 
that we must maintain one way or 
another. Kick ass and take names.
Received April 16 from Diane!! 



I went home that evening and Diane came to stay with him. As necessary she had to leave before I got there.


I get here and he’s not in his room 
and didn’t take his phone, going to 
find him.
Sent April 17 to Diane.

This goes back to a caregiver tip, that he never went to anything alone. When I arrived and saw that he was gone and obviously it was all of a sudden since he left his iPhone behind I went and asked the nurse. She said he went to IR and she would check to see why. I didn’t wait around. I went down the back/transport elevators and went straight to IR waiting room, knocked on the door and when they saw me they let me in.



Right now he is in IR. Removed tube 
in the biliary drain and changed for a 
fresh one.
Sent April 17 to Diane

They took a flow path and the 
biliary drainage give it a test to 
run to drain internally!!!!! He is 
wiped out. Just sleeping.
Sent April 17 to Diane

Apparently he went to sleep 
yesterday right after I left and 
slept until 10 am. 14 hours.
Sent April 17 to  Allison

He’s getting higher dose 
and is really feeling it.
Sent April 17 to Allison

Yeah, I bet. It’s rough stuff.
Rec’d April 17 from Allison


He is getting full dose so he is in
 a lot of pain and feels sick. He 
has a lot of discomfort where
 they internalized the bill drain. 
They are going to drain externally 
and see if that helps. Need to
 figure out some way to bring a 
little joy to his life.
Sent April 18 to Kathleen

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