A Day at the Med Center

A brief account of a day at the Med Center by Sandy Scheef, (Kim's mom).

August 1, 2008 ---Second chemo treatment in current series.

Kim and I leave her place a little before 6:30 a.m. for the University of Nebraska Medical Center UNMC in Omaha. We arrive at the Lied Center for her 7:30 appointment. At 7:42 a nurse comes in to take her vital signs and all is well.

We go to room 17 where two recliners wait for patients. Kim's nurse today is Sue, the same as last time. She is the mother of A.J. (Luke's friend from school days),

Someone comes to take Kim to be weighed and when she returns she says "I wish it was over."

Jenna (mother of Monte's former students) comes to change needle in Kim's port.

Sue starts a hydration solution at 8:20 a.m. and from then on Kim will have a series of fluids including six large bags that will constantly flow into her body. The fluids contain cisplatin, chemo, flushes and saline solutions. Each time the fluid bag is matched to Kim's wrist band and she is asked to repeat her birth date. The large bags take two hours to drain and sometimes two and three fluids are going at the same time. It is a long process.

About noon Kim makes her first trip to bathroom pushing her rolling stand with fluid bags attached. With all the fluid going into body - some needs to come out. There will be a couple more trips before she is finished. Kim is also provided and encouraged to drink juices and water.

I go to the cafeteria and bring back some food for lunch.

Becky stops in to visit and reads Kim's labs that she brought from Syracuse. She will be back later as her office is close by.

It always amazes us that so many people we visit with know someone we know. The people that come from other states for treatment are very interesting too. We hear some great stories.

During this day three different patients come and go from our room. We have been there eight hours and 45 minutes by the time we leave.

Jenna comes back around four and hooks up the pack that Kim wears all the time and it slowly dispenses chemo and will be changed the next two Fridays in Syracuse.

Kim will see the Dr. on August 14th and then on Friday, August 22nd(3 weeks) the same process will be repeated.