Incision Rupture (oops lol) and Chemo Infusion #10

Hello, hello from chilly Renton!  A couple quick things to share with the pack.  As many of you know, the family and I were lucky enough to get away for a few days to (also surprisingly cold) Orlando for a quick getaway to Disney World and Universal Studios.  Caleb got to see his best pal Mickey, we got to see our close friends get engaged, and it was there that my primary incision, the one that looks like a C-section, ruptured!  

Incision Rupture: One would assume I was riding a roller coaster when it happened, but surprisingly it happened when I was sleeping.  I awoke to find fluid on my shirt and found a small hole in my incision.  Although it didn't hurt, it prevented me from riding a few roller coasters on the last couple days of our trip, so at least it didn't put too big a damper on our fun.  In consulting with the nurses upon my return to Seattle, it sounds like some fluid built up between the fatty layers and skin, which they said was good that the incision broke, releasing the pressure rather than causing additional issues.  The surgeon and doctors are not concerned with the rupture, and at this point I am just packing the wound with some silver impregnated cloth strips to prevent infection and help with healing.  The most frustrating part of this hurdle is that it will prevent me from going to the gym for the next few weeks while I allow it to heal.

Infusion 10: I thought that the long break since my last infusion would mean that this most recent chemo would be a cakewalk, but I was wrong.  The nausea hit quite hard, particularly right after the infusion, where I was close to vomiting for the first time during this journey.  The nausea also persisted for longer the following days, and required me to take more meds than I usually do.  The tinging in my fingertips was also quite strong, though it may be the nerves that recently grew back are now getting attacked again.  Also, as a result of my incision opening up, the doctors held one of my drugs, Avastin, which would have slowed the wound healing.  Aside from the nausea, fatigue, and tingling, there were no major side effects to the chemo.  

My hair hasn't started falling out again from the resumed chemo, but it may be a bit thinner for the holiday pictures; I better take Christmas card photos now.  Two or three more rounds of chemo remaining!  Stay warm friends, and thanks for reading!