Day 3 and 4-Ketamine Infusion Therapy

Allison's journey continues as she calls her ketamine trip, Allison in Wonderland.  All signs point to an overall positive treatment and if Allison can go another year or longer being pain free, the trials and tribulations that she has gone through this week has all been worth it.  She has been pain free for the past 2 entire days while the ketamine keeps pumping throughout her body, in hopes of resetting her pain receptors in her brain.  HP and the Deathly Hallows have been keeping us busy, half way through the book in 3 days, not too bad since I have had to reread chapters to Allison has she soon forgets what I have read and the need to go back for chapter reviews.  Allison has been asking about everyone and wants to know how everyone else is doing along with her family rather than focusing on herself getting better.  She has apologized repeatedly to me about having to deal with this "life" we have to live to the point that I had to tell her as nice as I could, Shut the Fuck Up!  She actually laughed and just said, "ok".  Part of the treatment requires an epidural, numbing her lower extremities, so that the ketamine can works its magic.  The epidural was pulled today and for the next two days, she will be on straight ketamine, 65ml per hour over the next 36 hours or so.  How she does it, I have no idea.  The only siude effect that seems to be bothering her is after she falls asleep and wakes uo, she does not know where she is and there are "demons" and "monsters" in her room that she has too fight off, telling herself it's all a hallucination.  It's a catch 22, because when she does fall asleep, she says her dreams are vivid and she is pain free in her dreams, doing things she wouldn't consider doing in her "real" life, and then wakes up, scared because she has to fight off her dream world and reality, trying to decipher between the two.  Well, another day down and one full day to go.  She will be titrated down late Friday night into Saturday morning and we will be on our way back to New Hampshire.  It is expected that she will have about 2-3 weeks of feeling a bit sluggish and nervous, (schizophrenic type side effects), but will be feeling completely normal, (fingers crossed), with each passing day.  Thanks for everyone's kind words and support, it is much appreciated.

In Hope,
Greg

Day 2-Ketamine Infusion

Day 2 has gone well. Allison has tolerated the increase in ketamine each hour and as of 10p tonight she was up to 52ml an hour and by the morning hopes to top out at 65ml. She had PT this morning and did well with that including using the bathroom on her own which she was very proud of. She managed to eat a little for all 3 meals today and even napped for about an hour during the day. I managed to read the first 8 chapters to Allison of HP and the Deathly Hallows, which made the 12 hours I spent with her today, fly by. Her nurses have been great, which really helps Allison feel more comfortable and less nervous and stressed about S#$%$@! the bed due to not feeling anything from the waist down due to the on-going epidural. All of her vitals are great, urine output is normal and her pain is at a 1 to non-existent at this point which are all good signs. She is uncomfortable though with tubes and wires coming out of all parts of her body but is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. If she does well during the night tonight, it should be smooth sailing for the rest of the week as she will have maxed out on the amount of ketamine she can receive. It definitely helps being a pro at receiving these infusion, which to date is over 100 for her. Thanks to everyone following along or getting updates via facebook, (I just heard Google cringe at me using the F word). In hope, Greg PS BTW...Griffin went 0-2 with a fielders choice RBI, in his 7-8 year old little league game tonight, which tied the game and made a charging and fielding play at 3rd tonight to throw out the runner at 1st base along with making some plays at 1st base. Way to Griffin! Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you. That's all for now as my large meat pizza is on it's way to the hotel. Dee-Lish!!!!

Day 1-Ketamine Infusion

So....our day started at 530a this morning as we traveled to NYC to the Hospital for Special Surgery. Needless to say, it is almost 630p now and Allison has just been admitted. Once she is set up, I should be able to see her and spend the last hour or so with her before the hospital closes its doors to visitors at 9p. I have been given special priviledges for visiting as Allison is in her own isolation room so I will be able to spend 9a-9p straight through with her each day this week, which I am sure she will enjoy. Most visitors at this hospital only get 10 minutes once every hour starting at 10a and ending at 7p. It's a long 12 hours but I will not complain as Allison is hooked up to machines and wires, almost reminiscent of that when Anakin Skywalker is transformed into Darth Vader. Once the ketamine starts flowing, I think Allison believes she has the force. There won't be much more to say tonight but I will have a full report tomorrow morning once I see Allison for the first time following an entire night of her infusion, which last time was not pretty. At least now, she knows what to expect so let's keep our fingers crossed, (Griffin told us he would have his fingers crossed the entire time Mommy is in the hospital). In Hope and Love, Greg

Here we go again...

Allison has gone approximately 2 years after having her 5 day inpatient treatment of ketamine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She is scheduled again for May 14-18 and her pain symptoms have become too life interferring as she had to leave her teaching job on medical leave this past April along with having to increase her medications. She also was having outpatient ketamine more frequently which was a sure sign that she needed higher doses over a longer period of time to experience significant relief while obtaining and sustaining quality of life once again. We are asking our family, friends, and supporters to send Allison, warm thoughts, positive energy and prayers as she takes another journey down the road to recovery. I will keep everyone updated each day as I did before as Allison fights to be pain free. In Hope, Greg