The Heebie Jeebies

Round 2 of chemo started on Thursday and is going well. The best part is that we finally got out of the quad room on Saturday morning. Happy dance!

We got out of the quad room because I woke up with bug bites all over my arms, ankles and neck. (And I didn't go outside the day before.) Itchy dance!

It makes me itchy all over just thinking about it. Obviously the sleep chairs are slept on by people from all sorts of living conditions and they are fabric. This has always been a grin and bear it situation---emphasis on bear it! I've always been a bit creeped out by the chairs and you would all probably laugh at my layering routine of blankets, sheets, Thermarest, and pillows before I sleep on them. I typically have at least 5 layers that amount to a few inches on top of the chair cushions. It's borderline "Princess and the Pea." The only problem is that I have no way to really cover/insulate the arms or exterior of the chair. One of the housecleaning ladies cleaning the room we were moved to said she was surprised they could be infested because they wipe them down with an antibacterial wipe. Obviously she's never really looked at the chair with the possibility of having to sleep on it. They are sometimes stained and food and candy wrappers are often stuffed in the cracks. I tried to kindly mention the fact that wipes don't kill the bugs that make their way through the fabric and into the cushions.

The nursing supervisor came and checked out my bites and offered me an all expense paid trip to the E.R. I passed and simply asked to have a nurse check my hair for lice. No lice. Whew! One of our nurses and I looked up all sorts of bites online, i.e., bed bugs, dust mites, fleas, etc. Some of the pictures looked similar, but not quite like what I had. Another nurse came and looked and concluded it was probably some sort of resistant strain of bed bug. Cringe. Cringe. Cringe. I bagged up our pillows and clothes and took them home to wash in very hot water.

The staff was great and very solicitous and even said we could sleep in the empty bed in the new room (a no-no in case the bed is needed for a patient). The quad room has been emptied and remains unoccupied with "closed for cleaning" signs posted on the doors. I like to think I took one for the team and saved some kids and families from a few miserable nights in the quad. But I must admit, every itch I have feels magnified and I think I'd pick more time in the quad over nasty bed bug bites. (gag)