Tuesday, May 22, 2013:
I have currently been dealing with lots and lots of mouth blisters, swollen bottom lip and my tongue actually peels!! I have also had a recurring and bothersome back ache and headache daily since the last treatment. I occasionally break out with what appears to be the measles on my arms. My skin looks strange. It has an odd color to it. I thin it all has to do with my liver. There is no telling what all this chemo is doing to my internal organs. I just hope they don't become permanently damaged. Lord help me if it does. Keep my in your prayers and I miss you all. Now for more details.....
Last Thursday Wayne and I went to an appointment with Dr. Bebb my surgeon, for a sonogram of my tumor, The sonographer (if that is what they are called) searched and searched but could not locate the tumor. She finally found a place that she thought might be the spot but was not sure. She got the doctor and he did the same thing, searching and searching, He finally located the spot and in his words said he was 'ecstatic'. He said that the oncologist was trying to put him out of business. My tumor started out at 2 cm and is now 5 mm or went from about 1.5 inches to 1/8 inches in dia. He said I was responding exceptionally well to the chemo. He then said that the next step after my last chemo treatment would be to have my surgery. This would be 4 weeks after the last treatment. He said that he would be doing a lumpectomy and asked if we had talked about a breast lift. I said not really so he proceeded to tell me that in addition to the lumpectomy he would be removing 15 lymph nodes from under my right armpit. On this I balked and questioned why so many, that he had only found one lymph node involved. His reply was yes he had biopsied one lymph node but he did see a problem with others. I still questioned why so many and he sat down and said he didn't know how to say it but that when I came into his office the first time I was 'circling the drain' (this was something I never knew) and that now the chemo had done so well that the 'drain' was now plugged and the basin was filling back up with water and I was now swimming. He said to ensure that we got all the cancer and ensure I did not have to worry about this in the future he needed to take out the 15 lymph nodes. He went back to talking about a breast lift. It was his recommendation that I have a lift because if I did not then where the lymph nodes drained that there was a strong likelihood that my right breast could end up swelling to the size of a football. By lifting my breasts it would help with the drainage and I should not have any problems. During the surgery they will put a couple of tubes to help with drainage while I am healing. I will also have to wear a special corset type bra until I heal and have physical therapy to keep from losing any function in my arm. In addition to all this I will have to have radiation 5 days a week for 4 to 6 weeks. The radiation won't happen until 6 weeks or so after my surgery. The surgery itself should take about 3 hours but I will be in the hospital for several hours. I may have to stay overnight depending on how long it takes to coordinate everything. There is a marker in my breast marking where the tumor is. I will have an x-ray and they will place a wire into my breast so the doctors can go directly to the tumor. So, it looks as though it is going to be a longer road than I had thought. I have been dealing with a lot of anger over the weekend after getting all this information. I was thinking....o.k. I have two more treatments and then a little surgery and I will be done. NOT! Now it will be about mid October, November before I will be done with all this. I have gotten past the anger and realize I don't have any choice but to forge ahead. It is what it is.
We went to the plastic surgeon on Monday and he went into the details as to how he would perform the lift. We asked all kinds of questions and will go back to see him a week prior to the surgery so he can take photos and I think he said he was going to draw on my chest. Not sure if it will be then or later. Whatever, right? Hahaha. OMG!
My good buddy, Patti made it through her hiking trip o.k. and I was happy to hear from her when she got back. I am proud of you girl. I know it was a tough hike.
Later.
Glenda
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
No energy......
Tuesday, May 14, 2013:
Just to give everyone an idea of how this chemo is 'working' on me, yesterday, Monday I had a few ball caps that needed washing. I ran some water in the kitchen sink, dumped them in, put some soap on them and started brushing them clean with a fingernail brush. It was easy work except for the fact that after about a minute of brushing the first one I had to get a chair to sit down in because I got so tired. After resting for a couple of minutes I started again. After brushing for another minute, my forearm muscles were so fatigued I had to rest again. This cycle continued until I had completed all the washing then I rested again and I was done for the day.
Today I absolutely over did it. I had an eye doctor's appointment for my annual check up. I was there for about 2 hours. I left there and went to Mom's, gave her a haircut and visited with her and Bill and my sister Brenda for about another 2 hours. When I left there I had to go to Kmart. I was there for about a half hour and did not think I would be have enough energy to get to the parking lot and then home. I absolutely had 'run out of gas'!! I did, of course, make it home o.k. and I was toast for the rest of the day. So, this is a sample of a couple of days in the life of a chemo patient. Yuck! Tomorrow I have nothing planned so I can rest up for the sonogram I will have on Thursday. I may not be able to update this until next week to let you know what the results are so don't worry. I know it will be good news. I am having trouble finding the lump which means it is shrinking. I do hope that my friends that are going through this right now are having a better time of it than I am. God bless you all!!
Glenda
Just to give everyone an idea of how this chemo is 'working' on me, yesterday, Monday I had a few ball caps that needed washing. I ran some water in the kitchen sink, dumped them in, put some soap on them and started brushing them clean with a fingernail brush. It was easy work except for the fact that after about a minute of brushing the first one I had to get a chair to sit down in because I got so tired. After resting for a couple of minutes I started again. After brushing for another minute, my forearm muscles were so fatigued I had to rest again. This cycle continued until I had completed all the washing then I rested again and I was done for the day.
Today I absolutely over did it. I had an eye doctor's appointment for my annual check up. I was there for about 2 hours. I left there and went to Mom's, gave her a haircut and visited with her and Bill and my sister Brenda for about another 2 hours. When I left there I had to go to Kmart. I was there for about a half hour and did not think I would be have enough energy to get to the parking lot and then home. I absolutely had 'run out of gas'!! I did, of course, make it home o.k. and I was toast for the rest of the day. So, this is a sample of a couple of days in the life of a chemo patient. Yuck! Tomorrow I have nothing planned so I can rest up for the sonogram I will have on Thursday. I may not be able to update this until next week to let you know what the results are so don't worry. I know it will be good news. I am having trouble finding the lump which means it is shrinking. I do hope that my friends that are going through this right now are having a better time of it than I am. God bless you all!!
Glenda
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Today is Sunday, Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all......
Sunday, 5-12-2013:
All was going pretty well, or at least as well as I expected, until about 2 a.m. Saturday morning. I woke up and felt as bad as I ever had while going through this chemo. I felt as though I had both the worse hangover plus a bad case of food poisoning you could imagine. I haven't had the stomach distress that goes along with it, thank God. I felt soooo bad I prayed for the Lord to help me get through it. It was horrible. I decided to get up about 3:30 a.m. and stayed up for a couple of hours then went back to bed at 5:30 a.m. I finally got back up about 12:30 p.m. I felt some better and tried to eat a little bit and went back to bed around 7 p.m. All night long I tossed and turned, rolled and rolled, sweated and froze. This morning (Sunday) I felt a little better but my bone ache came back about noon. My head is feeling like it is in a vice. Hopefully the Tylenol will knock out some of the discomfort. I really don't want to take the Allegra since the non drowsy kind made me so sleepy. Wayne had cooked some bacon before I woke up this morning and when I started to smell it I had to get outside in a hurry. I could not stand the smell of it. After a while I went back inside and it was a little better. I managed to eat half a piece of bacon and about half of a scrambled egg. I have lost 22 lbs. since the beginning of this process. My tongue feels swollen and blistered, my throat is sore, my lip is trying to blister and my tongue burns. The Doctor said there is nothing that can be done about it. My skin is beginning to feel and look like tree bark. My fingertips are numb and the bottom of my feet feel like they are asleep. My face and hands feel as if they are sunburned and will soon peel. Hopefully things will settle down in my system and I will feel better soon.
Glenda
All was going pretty well, or at least as well as I expected, until about 2 a.m. Saturday morning. I woke up and felt as bad as I ever had while going through this chemo. I felt as though I had both the worse hangover plus a bad case of food poisoning you could imagine. I haven't had the stomach distress that goes along with it, thank God. I felt soooo bad I prayed for the Lord to help me get through it. It was horrible. I decided to get up about 3:30 a.m. and stayed up for a couple of hours then went back to bed at 5:30 a.m. I finally got back up about 12:30 p.m. I felt some better and tried to eat a little bit and went back to bed around 7 p.m. All night long I tossed and turned, rolled and rolled, sweated and froze. This morning (Sunday) I felt a little better but my bone ache came back about noon. My head is feeling like it is in a vice. Hopefully the Tylenol will knock out some of the discomfort. I really don't want to take the Allegra since the non drowsy kind made me so sleepy. Wayne had cooked some bacon before I woke up this morning and when I started to smell it I had to get outside in a hurry. I could not stand the smell of it. After a while I went back inside and it was a little better. I managed to eat half a piece of bacon and about half of a scrambled egg. I have lost 22 lbs. since the beginning of this process. My tongue feels swollen and blistered, my throat is sore, my lip is trying to blister and my tongue burns. The Doctor said there is nothing that can be done about it. My skin is beginning to feel and look like tree bark. My fingertips are numb and the bottom of my feet feel like they are asleep. My face and hands feel as if they are sunburned and will soon peel. Hopefully things will settle down in my system and I will feel better soon.
Glenda
Friday, May 10, 2013
Chemo update......
Friday, 5-10-2013
I want to give a shout out to all my friends at work. I miss you and I am doing well. Feel free to call me if you like.
Hugs to you all. Also a big shout out to my friend and backpacking buddy in Ohio who will be leaving this weekend to head to Tennessee for a training hike/orientation to prepare her to hike the Appalachian Trail with Warren Doyle. You go Patti!! I love you. I was supposed to go with her but the little c got in the way and messed up those plans. Hopefully I will be able to do another one Warren is holding in September. Do a search on this guy if you like hiking or would like to hike the AT. He is quite a guy and an older one at that!! Hahahaha.
Sorry I haven't updated lately but I have been busy. I had a really good week prior to my chemo treatment which was on Wed. the 8th and I am still having a good week up to this point after my treatment. Hallelujah!! I was able to get out into my flower beds and do some weeding and also got the screened in porch furniture and screens and enclosure cleaned of all the pollen that was EVERYWHERE. I actually felt useful once again. Praise the Lord.
The day of my treatment was o.k. I was a little tired and probably one of the most annoying things I have to deal with is not being able to get a full nights sleep. Out of 5 days I might get one night of really good rest. So, I got sleepy having my treatment and took a much needed nap. Later that night I started feeling really, really tired and went to bed early (7:30 Wed.) and went right off to sleep. I did not sleep well and got up early and had the Dr.s office work me in early to get my Neulasta shot. After I ran some errands and got back home I took my 'day after chemo steroid pills' and once it kicked in I had enough energy for two people! Hahahaha. I actually started taking the furniture off the deck and put it in the yard on Tuesday and finally it got a much needed cleaning. Wayne has been busy getting the yard back in shape so he has had his hands full with all that and it is looking good. Just wish the weeds would go away. Today, Friday, I put up some strawberries after breakfast and then took on the task of getting my medical bills caught up and making sure my numbers matched the ins. companies. They did up to a point and I came to realize I have overpaid one doctor and owe another doctor double what I will get back from the overpaid one but then....I will have met all my deductibles. Whew! And, thank God I have insurance even though we got it socked to us with the last contract the Union agreed to. They really rolled over for G.E.
This afternoon I started having my 'bone ache' and as usual it is in my middle back around my ribs. Normally a couple of Tylenol with knock it out but not this time. I finally took an Allegra. I know, it's for allergies but it is also good for bone aches. I think it has helped somewhat but this non-drowsy stuff has made me drowsy. Go figure!
At my chemo treatment I took some more photos of my new friend Jen and another new friend Brigette. Jen's little girl wants to see what it looks like where her Mom goes for treatment so I took a few and will post them below.
I want to give a shout out to all my friends at work. I miss you and I am doing well. Feel free to call me if you like.
Hugs to you all. Also a big shout out to my friend and backpacking buddy in Ohio who will be leaving this weekend to head to Tennessee for a training hike/orientation to prepare her to hike the Appalachian Trail with Warren Doyle. You go Patti!! I love you. I was supposed to go with her but the little c got in the way and messed up those plans. Hopefully I will be able to do another one Warren is holding in September. Do a search on this guy if you like hiking or would like to hike the AT. He is quite a guy and an older one at that!! Hahahaha.
Sorry I haven't updated lately but I have been busy. I had a really good week prior to my chemo treatment which was on Wed. the 8th and I am still having a good week up to this point after my treatment. Hallelujah!! I was able to get out into my flower beds and do some weeding and also got the screened in porch furniture and screens and enclosure cleaned of all the pollen that was EVERYWHERE. I actually felt useful once again. Praise the Lord.
The day of my treatment was o.k. I was a little tired and probably one of the most annoying things I have to deal with is not being able to get a full nights sleep. Out of 5 days I might get one night of really good rest. So, I got sleepy having my treatment and took a much needed nap. Later that night I started feeling really, really tired and went to bed early (7:30 Wed.) and went right off to sleep. I did not sleep well and got up early and had the Dr.s office work me in early to get my Neulasta shot. After I ran some errands and got back home I took my 'day after chemo steroid pills' and once it kicked in I had enough energy for two people! Hahahaha. I actually started taking the furniture off the deck and put it in the yard on Tuesday and finally it got a much needed cleaning. Wayne has been busy getting the yard back in shape so he has had his hands full with all that and it is looking good. Just wish the weeds would go away. Today, Friday, I put up some strawberries after breakfast and then took on the task of getting my medical bills caught up and making sure my numbers matched the ins. companies. They did up to a point and I came to realize I have overpaid one doctor and owe another doctor double what I will get back from the overpaid one but then....I will have met all my deductibles. Whew! And, thank God I have insurance even though we got it socked to us with the last contract the Union agreed to. They really rolled over for G.E.
This afternoon I started having my 'bone ache' and as usual it is in my middle back around my ribs. Normally a couple of Tylenol with knock it out but not this time. I finally took an Allegra. I know, it's for allergies but it is also good for bone aches. I think it has helped somewhat but this non-drowsy stuff has made me drowsy. Go figure!
At my chemo treatment I took some more photos of my new friend Jen and another new friend Brigette. Jen's little girl wants to see what it looks like where her Mom goes for treatment so I took a few and will post them below.
Cape Fear Cancer Specialists
(This is owned by New Hanover Regional Medical Center)
The Building
Funny how there are no signs on the building.
Jen hooked up to her Chemo
View of the room from my chair. Jen is across from me.
More of the room from my viewpoint.
Jen and me
My new friend Brigette, what a doll baby she is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)