Sunday, July 22, 2007

Needle Time


OK, new week ahead. Blood tests on Tuesday, then (maybe) chemotherapy to follow. Depends on whether Dave's anemia has improved, or in other words - does he have enough Red Blood Cells to tolerate the intravenous "draino" (Dave's term.)

He's been getting weekly injections of ProCrit and daily injections of B-12 vitamins. Good thing he's not phobic about needles.

In fact, this morning Dave announced that when he goes into remission, he intends to get a tattoo! He wants me to design an image of a Phoenix in flight, carrying a Nikon in his talons.

Speaking of needles . . . last week, we bumped into our friend Jane at the lab. She was also waiting to have some bloodwork done. As a more experienced patient, she gave the Dave the low-down on students versus experienced phlebotomists (don't let the students draw your blood, when you're getting stuck every few days and your veins are getting harder & harder to find.) They both got called into the back at the same time, and a student came up to Jane, who politely asked for a regular staffer. So the student moved over to Dave, who was thinking about what to say and how to say it, when they heard Jane calling out from the other side of the curtain, "He doesn't want a student, either."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Definitely been there, done that, regarding people who can draw blood. Takes a 60 mile round trip each time.

Hope everything goes well this week.

You are both in our thoughts and prayers.

Beth, Mats & Mora