One down, twelve or so to go.

William had his first chemo treatment Wednesday morning. We both lost sleep Tuesday night worrying over this unknown thing. We'd read about it and knew what to expect, then lost sleep expecting it all.

Our expectations were enhanced by the literature he was given regarding the drugs that would be used. I will not name the various chemicals here simply because I can't. Their names were about a foot long and I've long since forgotten them. Mainly what I remember was William's reaction to reading the drug literature. At one point he abruptly closed the leaflet and said "I'm not going to read any more of that one." At another point he said "my god, this one is related to Mustard Gas." He asked me to stay until they started the chemo so I did.

We were the first people to occupy the chemo lab. There were 25 to 30 puffy recliners in rows. The room slowly filled while we were waiting for the first two "pre-chemo" I.V. bags to drain. One bag was to help prevent nausea during the treatment, the other bag was a steroid and something else that would also help prevent nausea. They did their job. William didn't even feel faintly ill during the treatment. This event we were both looking forward to and dreading, turned out to be a real non-event. He didn't feel anything burning his veins, there was no nausea, no side effects at all. He dozed and read for 2 hours.

We were told that the pre-chemo drugs would stay in his system for a couple of days and would continue to help with the nausea. We got a prescription to help with nausea as well, adding to the overflow in our now burgeoning medicine cabinet. Two years ago, our medicine cabinet held Aspirin, Tylenol, Pepcid, Alka-Seltzer, Excedrin and Nyquil at most. Now we have blood pressure pills, blood thinners, cholesterol pills, pain pills, sleeping pills, anti-nausea pills, anti-anxiety and anti-depression (the need for these being exacerbated by the reasons we need all the other pills), pills and powders for constipation (caused by the lymphoma as well as the anti-nausea pills and pain pills), plus all of our old standbys. Two years ago our medicines took up about 4 coffee cups worth of space in what used to be the narrow 3 shelf coffee cup cabinet. Now there is no space for coffee cups on those 3 shelves. Better living through chemistry.

We've been waiting for the side effects to begin, but so far so good. William says he feels kind of heavy and feels kind of like something is sitting on him. Once in a while he gets slightly nauseated, but he's only vomited once and got right over it. What has us overjoyed for the moment is that the soul crushing, crippling pain, that had driven him to two pain pills every 4 hours, has disappeared. We're hoping to the heavens that this is not just a temporary respite caused by the I.V. steroid pre-chemo treatment. He has only taken 2 pain pills since the morning prior to the chemo and those he took for help sleeping, not pain. Two entire days with no pain other than a mild headache. We're pretty damned ecstatic about that. Prior to the chemo he was unable to bend his left hip at all anymore. He walked, agonizingly, just dragging his immensely swollen leg because he couldn't lift it. Now, he can lift it about 3 inches off the floor while standing.

If we had to enter the new year in this manner, these improvements are the best we could have hoped for. If these improvements are temporary, caused by the steroids and anti-nausea I.V.s, then at least he's had two entire days without pain and able to hold down food. We'll happily take whatever good days we're given.