Chemo Round 1, Day 1
Collin seems to have tolerated yesterday's chemo very well; his sodium levels are up (higher sodium means less swelling in the brain) and his input and output is right where it should be. His pain is being managed better, and it is a relief to see him comfortable. On the weekend there are no visits from therapists, and there is less hustle and bustle, so the day was fairly calm.
Chemo was started at 4:30 PM again; for the most part the timing is dependent on when the very first dose is given, and then chemo is given every 24 hours. The first chemo drug today was called Etoposide (VP 16). This drug has a preservative in it that can cause blood pressure to bottom out, so for the two hours over which the drug was given, Collin's BP was automatically taken every fifteen minutes. Luckily he had no problems. The second chemo drug today was called Cytoxan, which was administered over one hour. It also has side effects of nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, hair loss, and low blood counts. It can be very toxic to the kidneys, and so it is administered with a rescue agent called Mesna, which is given as a continuous infusion over twenty four hours. To put it in perspective, the nurse told me that the other kid getting the same dose of Cytoxan is fifteen...years...old! Luckily Collin seemed to tolerate today's drugs well, without any complications. He will have the exact same drugs tomorrow. His sodium dropped slightly, so he was given sodium chloride to bring his level back up. Unfortunately the sodium makes him vomit almost instantly.
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