Our "end of chemo" celebration ended with a trip to the ER in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. What started as a sore throat at bedtime Tuesday morphed into a swollen throat by 1 AM Wednesday. This innocuous sounding symptom can be a sign of a severe allergic reaction that can totally constrict the airways, according to our handy symptom chart. Deciding to err on the side of caution, we called the emergency hotline number and were instructed to proceed to the ER where Ernie was given more Benadryl and kept until morning for observation.
The good news is that it was not an allergic reaction. The bad news--not enough white blood cells to fight off the common cold. As long as his temperature remains under 100.5, he can stay at home to recover. This is some small consolation. Since his immune system is shot, his days and nights are one long slumber.
Next Monday and Tuesday, he is scheduled for a follow-up MRI, a final calibration of his radiation mask and a "scoping" by the surgeon to see how much tumor remains in his throat. Of course, we do not want to miss these appointments. I just returned from the Whole Foods with ingredients for some chicken-based soup. Hope those old wives tales about its curative powers are true.
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