extra caution

I went to the hospital with Mom to get blood work and a "stAt" ct scan. We made sure it was just an hour.......... AT the exact hour, we got up to leave and the doctor cornered us and said we had to be admitted to Er = I have blood clots and have to stay here in the hospital a few more days..........

Lumbar puncture at Hospital

Okay, Mom and I walked in for a lumbar puncture test on Monday, Figured it would be about an hour.... ended up laughing at each other because it was a 7-hour test!
After getting "hydrated" on the IV, there was the TEST and then we had to wait 4 hours while they oberserved me and had me eat dinner. We had to laugh at each other because we weren't sure what else to do! Then I had to spend yesterday all day in bed observing the rules ...... so amazing! No chemo - I'll find out about that today at my doctor appointment.

So next time, find out what's involved with your tests BEFORE HAND!!!!!

Sick anyway

So, I got sick anyway.....I can move around a bit for about 15 seconds, then my ears start pulsing and I crash while I wait for it to end. The anti-nausea meds help some... but can't do much else but watch the world spin. I need help getting around.

POOR Kyle, he's been asking for an ice cream cone for days and then he dr0pped the package and broke them all! So sad.

Readiing

I finished the book "The Undaunted" last week. I can't believe they really did all of that excavating. I guess I would have been one of the "less Chosen" ones rather than go through all of that!

I got a call tonight - they want to do a lumbar something or other next Monday. I think they're just wanting to try out every new fangled test that comes along.

My family is getting sick by degrees. First Jacob, then Taija, then Dad now Max - all throwing up for a day. We've been laundering and washing door knobs and light switches..... I hope I don't get it, too..

Chemo tomorrow

Took the blood test today, things went great. The other tests all came back okay. - The ultrasound and MRI... I get chemo on Tuesday at noon. I take a little less of the steroids... more of the intestine meds...

Feelin groovy.........

I didn't make it to church today - upset stomach - but I've felt pretty well since Lunch time! I even finished a BYU lesson - only 5 more to go on this class.

I have to give blood tomorrow and see the doctor and see what the results of my two tests are(ultrasound and MRI).

Once some good news....

I was going to share with you some very good news. My brain MRI came back with excellent results - all the doctors were very impressed that the tumors there are SHRINKING! Yea!!! Monday Dr. O'Grady told me how unexpected the results were.

Then Monday night I ended up in the hospital because I'd been throwing up for 2 1/2 days and I was dehydrating. I spent the evening/day in the hospital getting rehydrated .... I felt tremendously better that night and early Tuesday morning. The next day, I was supposed to have a Dr. Klarnet (cancer center) appointment and more chemo, but, the soonest I could get out of Kadlec was 11:30 a.m. We got home and back to the cancer center appointment. Dr. Klarnet had a boatload of questions for us that we had absolutely no answers.

We determined from the blood work that I was nauseated again because I need to return to my steroids full-time. Also, my blood platelets levels were skyrocketing - another indication that I need to be back on the steroids. It shows that my body is under a lot of stress. I stayed there at the cancer center getting rehydrated AGAIN and getting more steroids and anti-nausea drugs. They are going to do three tests this week - PET scan, brain MRI and an ultra-sound to see if it's a gall-bladder problem. He said that he's going to start at square one and determine what is going on with my cancer.... and there will be no more chemo until we find out what's going on, either.

So, once there was some good news... maybe there will be more later.....

A big thank you for those who brought us dinner tonight. We certainly needed it and it was delicious!

Finally got treatment...

Yesterday I got my chemo treatment. We had to go to Kadlec due to our insurance situation. It actually worked out very well! I was put in a room with a bed for me (!!) and the nice cozy chair was for Mom. And they insisted that I order a meal since it was all part of the room coverage. Answering their myriad of questions was tiring, but other than that, we're looking forward to next week!

No steroids this time (no extra energy) and no Abraxane... I wish the steroids would leave (so I wouldn't look so fat).... they just keep hanging out in my cheeks...... I went to the dentist today since a side-effect of the zometa (bone strengthener) is degenerating jaw bones... They took some x-rays and said that the aches weren't due to the zometa - I'm so glad! But, they'll have this x-ray to serve as a baseline in case at some point in the future there is a problem.

Treatment is tomorrow

Changed insurance as of the first of the year. This complicated things as far as chemo is concerned. I got my lab work done and visited with the nurse practitioner, but I'll be getting chemo at Kadlec for the next several times. Starting with tomorrow. We got home after only being gone 3 hours! The nurse I got today told me as much or more than the one last week. She said that after going through radiation, it is expected that the scan on my brain shows larger tumors. She said that's why they wait at least 6 weeks before doing an MRI for the swelling to go down. So, drum roll........ my tumors are responding wonderfully to the chemo drugs; they've gone down in size. That's good news for me! So glad that Mom (and Dad) are here to get me everywhere and remember to ask all the good questions.

A few side effects - my fingers are tingly and numb.... my tongue tastes everything strange... My scalp is still really sore (and hanging onto those few whispy locks)...My appetite is way down - I only get a few nibbles down before I'm stufffed...

And, more good news. Saturday I tripped and crashed head-first into the bedroom wall (no, that's not the good news.......) Then I landed on my behind. And know what? I didn't break apart. My worst fear and I survived!!!!! I'm in one piece! Hurray!