Rianne is OFF LIMITS!

Well, another lonely day without even the simplest thing as a kiss. It’s a rough life! When Rianne has a Chemo Infusion she cannot kiss me, can’t let me wipe away her tears, can’t let her droplets of sweat touch me and, obviously we cannot be, you know, intimate! Because of the chemicals that are so strong in her body, if any of her bodily fluids touch another person they can actually cause that person to get a chemical burn. Yes, believe it or not, we have been advised to “abstain” from any kissing, touching teardrops, intimacy and even hugging tight. For the 48 hours that immediately follow a chemo infusion Rianne is OFF LIMITS! Her clothing must be washed separately and must be washed twice. When she uses the toilet she has to flush twice with the lid down to avoid splashing. Her urine is as pink as one of the R-CHOP chemicals was when it left the bag and entered her Port. Clorox wipes are abundant in our home and are used to clean any possible chemicals left lingering on the toilet, sinks, doorknobs and the phones. Germs are also a potential threat to Rianne and anyone, including myself, must be certain that they do not have a cold (or especially the flu) when they are near her. A box of medical masks rest by the doorway and are required to be worn by anyone who may visit during this critical period. As a precaution we wipe down everything in sight! It’s a dang good thing that Rianne’s a “germ-o-phobe!” Thanks to my brother, Chuck, she doesn’t go anywhere without her Purell hand sanitizer bottle in her purse or in my pocket. Being OCD actually DOES have it’s benefits!!

Paper plates and bowls and plastic cups replace our kitchenware as another precaution for keeping her fluids to herself. At times her mouth becomes so dry that she places some artifical saliva on her tongue to return moisture to her palate. Canker sores are combatted by gargling a solution of salt water with baking soda in it. Oddly enough, sometimes the chemicals leave her mouth tasting like metal, which causes an increase in sensitivity when silverware is used. To solve the problem Rianne eats with plastic forks and spoons until the metal sensation in her mouth leaves her.

Rianne rose around 8:00 this morning, mixed up a green tea drink, walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes and returned to bed to rest. The pattern of the past 2 cycles indicated that she needed to rest today – the day after a chemo infusion – and she did just that! She napped on and off during the day, spoke with some friends and relatives on the phone, texted a time or 20 and stayed away from active work today. In fact, the hardest she worked was while she colored Piglet and Pooh in the coloring book her Aunt Annajean and cousins Debbie and Pam sent to her in the mail. Remember - she is fighting the zombie-like condition called "chemo-brain" and anything that keeps her mind working is a benefit to her. She even called me to pick her up a Sudoku book! I'm impressed with her determination to keep her mind sharp, especially during the 1st week of the cycle, which has proven to be the toughest.

Tonight she looks good and it has everything to do with allowing herself to catch up on some much needed rest today. At this point in the treatment process Rianne knows how critical rest is, even though she feels good enough to get up on her feet and work on something. Her spirits are strong and her attitude remains the same – positive and upbeat. It was another really good day for Rianne and we're hoping that it continues for the rest of the week!