Pumping Iron

Today is iron infusion day! Here's the play by play.

11:50 AM: checked in at the infusion center. Each patient has their own curtained area with a recliner or bed, TV, headphones, even a partial view of Elliott Bay. Settled in to my own big blue vinyl recliner.

12:05 PM: met my nurse, also named Mel. Checked vitals & inserted the IV cannula in my left hand - very painful! Sadly for me, the vein blew and we had to try again at the inside of my elbow. I should have a stellar bruise on the back of my hand by tomorrow. I get a little hot pack to rest my hand on.

12:10 PM: started off with some Benadryl and a steroid (in case of an allergic reaction), then a small test dose of INFeD - iron in a dextrose solution - to see if I'm one of the lucky few who has a severe reaction. Mel asks me to let her know if anything feels weird or odd, but doesn't seem to want to tell me more about what can go wrong. Maybe people get scared or imagine side effects they don't have? Some people do have anaphylaxis from this, but that's not in my plan today.

12:40 PM: no problems with the test dose, so Mel hangs the next bag with the full dose: 1 gram of iron in a 1 liter bag of solution. Now I just chill for the next 3 hours.

1:05 PM: someone's pump is beeping, LOUDLY. Cecil is all done - yay, Cecil! The infusion center is in the oncology/hematology department, so most of the folks here are getting chemo - and I'm here so I can run (better). Well, and not be anemic, but still seems trivial in comparison. 

1:30 - 3:30 PM: read a bit, nap a bit, gotta pee! Unplug the pump & walk the IV pole across the hall to the bathroom. Settle in again in my recliner, repeat: read, nap, pee.

3:42 PM: whoops, pump stopped. Mel resets it & says I have about 20 minutes left. Time enough for another nap, I think.

4:00 PM: nope, read the internet instead. But the infusion is all done and I'm out of here. 

6:45 PM: so afterward, I feel really good - I guess some folks get pretty fatigued after these but so far, so good. Trail runs on deck for Saturday & Sunday, then head to Mazama next week for a running & yoga retreat - really hope the iron starts helping by then!