D-3

Around midnight, my lower legs are itching to the point that it is keeping me awake and tempting me sorely to scratch. They had been itchy before, and I thought it was just dry skin. But I had been putting skin lotion on them, and they aren't dry anymore. I ask the nurse for help -- Benadryl to the rescue!

Good sleep until 5:00, then again until 6:30. With today's chemo schedule, I realize this is my best chance for a run and a shower, so I hit the treadmill.

With my VRE colonization, I now need to wear a yellow smock over my hospital gown and thin blue rubber gloves whenever I leave the room. It's a warm getup under any circumstances, but it's really hot when you're running. I manage a couple of miles, a little slower than yesterday. It's not the extra clothing; I'm just feeling less energetic. I predict I will be getting more blood today. When I get back to my room and take off the gloves, pooled sweat pours out of them onto the floor. Disgusting. However, it's still better than not running.

The shower in my room is weak. The water doesn't get very hot, perhaps to protect against scalding. There is hardly any water pressure, so it takes a long time -- 15-20 minutes -- to get the soap off, and I'm not sure I ever get all of it off. Maybe that's why my legs are itchy.

Another bathroom peeve -- the toilet paper is installed so that it dispenses from the bottom of the roll. Madness! Naturally, I have tried to fix it. Mysteriously, the toilet paper dispenser requires a key to open. I understand why my medications in the vestibule outside my room are locked down. They probably have a street value of hundreds of dollars and are being billed to insurance for thousands of dollars. But toilet paper? That's a black market I don't think I want to know about.

After my shower, I feel a slight pain in the middle of my chest, right under the sternum. Not alarming, but being the good patient I call the nurse. EKG machine shows up soon, but the pain is already gone by then. EKG results are boring. Might be acid reflux -- I have been taking Nexium every morning, and this morning it wasn't included in my large collection of morning pills.

Some telecommuting, by phone and computer. Take a break/nap -- combination of needing blood and the large hit of Benadryl I get before the chemo starts.

Lunch. More work. Still no side effects.

A couple of visits from the Infectious Disease doctors to make sure I'm still doing well and to assure me they are keeping track of all my test results, all of which look good to them. They ask me if I'm bored. (I'm not.) They ask how my appetite is, and I tell them I'm eating well. "Really? With our food?" I point out my pantry, which elicits knowing chuckles. Then I tell them about my recipes, which makes them laugh out loud. "You have to publish those recipes." Flattering, but really the hospital should just improve its menu.

More work. The end of the chemo. No side effects. Happily surprised!

Tomorrow, I get a different treatment, and I will need to keep my mouth as cold as possible for six and a half hours to prevent mouth sores: ice chips, popsicles, milkshakes, ice cream...

Watch the Fighting Illini lose another close road game. Not surprised!

9:45, still waiting for my platelets and blood. Not sure what the delay is. Maybe they're trying to create a perfect storm of nighttime disruptions.