Hurts So Good

Fever is a healing reaction that will help my body heal, wake up my immune system, and activate my white blood cells, but first, it will kick my ass. The ancient Greeks believed fever cured the sick by cooking the “bad humors” (blood, phlegm, bile, lymph) and helping the body get rid of them. These days, studies at Yale University School of Medicine have shown that fever helps to contain infection, preventing its spread throughout the body. Here, at the clinic, it’s believed that fever is nature’s strongest and best healing reaction for chronic diseases including cancer.

Preparation for the actual fever therapy began Sunday night. Most people have a psychological barrier against and a dislike for enemas; it’s with good reason. What compounds the edginess of the procedure is having someone other than myself administer it (and you thought I was going to say it was the colon tube inserted 18-20 inches into my rectum). When I adjust myself in time, I relax and remind myself that my night nurse (aka, angel) is adept at slowly rotating excessive tubing to prevent it from kinking up inside the colon. For that, I am eternally grateful.

She also gives me a blood-thinning injection as a precautionary measure. It’s anticipated that I will be in bed most of Monday, so to stave off any possibility of thrombosis (blood clotting) the injection is a pretty good idea. My nurse then proceeds to collect all of her treatment accouterments and bids me a good night and a successful morning fever push.

I’m awake at my usual six o’clock hour. I’m allowed tea, but advised not to take breakfast, a precautionary measure to avoid nausea, vomiting, that routine. Once again, a stellar suggestion. Around 8:30 the curative fever is initiated and induced by certain drugs which are injected intravenously. Now I’ve got about 20 minutes to get to my room before the shaking chills get going. Right about now I’m desperately needing Han Solo to appear and wrap me in a dead tauntaun…he doesn’t show. It’s just as well because in order for my body to reach a higher internal temperature, the body has to produce heat. My blood vessels contract so that no heat radiates to the outside and fast muscle tremors (shivering) causes most of the heat. the result is the fever. Without the chills there is no reasonable fever, and I’m shooting for a reasonable fever.

Once the freezing is over, my body temperature starts it’s assent. During this phase I am not able to drink water for fear of slowing the fever’s progression. I continue to cook throughout the day, my nurse checking in on the hour. She documents my internal temperature and pulse and around 3 o’clock my temperature tops out at …105 degrees Fahrenheit, a formidable push!

The kitchen prepares and delivers a light meal of fresh mixed fruit salad, yogurt, and Wasa crackers. I am able to sit up long enough to savor a few bites before I must lie down again. The blood pressure usually drops during the fever therapy. I’m ok with being an overachiever, some folks say it like it’s a bad thing. Maybe in this case, they’re right…my blood pressure has plummeted to 60/40. If you’ve never had the experience of low blood pressure, let me attempt a description. I was happily feeding myself when my halo lowered onto my head and started tightening. When it was sufficiently cutting off the blood supply to my brain, it started vibrating. This shimmy created an audible pounding inside my skull. My room’s lighting mutated from a golden glow to a voodoo grey, and according to the nurses, so did my skin tone. I needed help walking the 4 steps to my bed before I collapsed. After the initial infusion this morning, the port needle was left in my arm, just for an occasion like this. Within minutes, the nurse started an electrolyte IV and before the night was out, 6 more were administered. I still woke up with a splitting headache.

The fever lingered, slowly coming down throughout Tuesday into early Wednesday morning. The trifecta of fever, dehydration, and low blood pressure took it’s toll. I’ve been in a pretty weakened state. My days continued to be full with morning infusions and afternoon relaxation modalities. I did get out walking each day (like really slow walking each day.) There really is no greater medicine than sunshine, fresh air, and beautiful live foods to help a body rejuvenate.

It’s Friday now and the last of my week’s treatments are over. I’ve officially completed 5 weeks of cancer treatment and care and am delighted to be here talking about it. I’ll have a powwow with my doctor on Monday and go over all the test results. It will be my last week here and we will squeeze as much into it as possible. We will regroup and formulate a long term plan of care before I am released back into my world, at large. While I will miss this amazing surround of support and encouragement, I am thankful to be returning to family and friends that rock my world as well. And it will be Thanksgiving, how appropriate is that!