Today was for the most part good. I woke unexpectedly early to find that my apparatus had become detached from my in the night. It was the night of the third day, so I was reaching the end of life for that one, but still, not how one wants to wake at 3AM. I took it in stride though and began to replace it with a new one from my now dwindling stock pile. As I was working on the process I discovered that my bottle of spray on barrier film was empty which gave me grave concerns as to how well this one would stay attached since the irritation to my skin also warranted using the powder, which the barrier film is supposed to go over top of to seal it in and present a reliable surface for the adhesive. Nonetheless, I persevered and did my best to create a good surface to the adhesive. Once that was taken care of, I proceeded with cleaning up the mess and getting everything sorted back out, then went back to sleep.
In the proper morning, I discussed the nights adventure with my brother and his wife, and after a little research, Liz found a relatively local medical supply house that was open and carried the barrier film. Since my confidence in the apparatus attached to me was in doubt, they kindly drove the 50 minutes to pick up a couple of bottles, and some other supplies that were available that I was short on.
Tonight I was very thankful for that caution. As I was preparing for bed, I noticed that the adhesive on one side had lifted and curled back on itself. This of course would be catastrophic since that adhesive is the only think keeping the device attached to me, and the waste that it captures contained. I was forced to once again dive into my dwindling supply and replace the faulty apparatus. I expect a visit from the home care nurse on Monday, where my primary, secondary and all other goals is to get instructed in how to order these supplies myself and get a decent stockpile on hand to avoid the stress I felt today. As someone who prides himself on self-reliance and independence, it is very frustrating to be relying on someone else for this critical task.
Other than my little adventure, today was pretty relaxed. I hung out at home and watched a movie, napped, and otherwise took it easy. My vitals all look normal (and good) and so far I have not observed any signs of the side effects from the chemo drugs. That does not mean too much at this point since it has only been one treatment, but I will take what I can get.