Thursday of last week I seemed to have picked up a “bug,” the kind that gets you while you’re down and gives you a fever before you know it. NOT what I needed to have happen. I am in “nadir,” the lowest point of my immunity in this chemo calendar with no white blood cells to fight back. Gratefully, doctors and blood work and meds got me thru and I evacuated to a dear friend’s beach house to do nothing, no strength to even turn a page on a book. Andy watched over me and I think we are moving in the right direction, hey I got back on the computer!!
Archive for September, 2011
Is It Hot In Here, Or Is It Just Me?
Monday, September 26th, 2011No, Not The Shot
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011I was sooo cruising thru this Chemo that I was pretty cocky. I felt embarrassed to accept meals when I felt good. Then I gave myself “the shot”. It is a bone stimulant for creating white blood cells that will let me fight off infection and be in the world. PAIN…every bone in me rallied to the call. Growing pains x 10.
Back to the pain pills and ever so grateful for the nutrition brought to my door by Sue, Judy, Marilyn, Marion , and Perry. So here comes the nausea,sweats, constipation etc to seek out a few damn cells gone bad. Oh yeah, and mood swings.
Chemotherapy Begins
Saturday, September 17th, 2011I find it amazing that yesterday was actually a little fun? I was with my good friend Betty for 14 hours while she drove me, sat with all the infusion junk, and stayed with me until Steve returned home from Pfizer travels. We met new people, some awesome medical folk who we charmed the pants off, had an awesome dinner brought in by caring gal-pals, flowers on the front door step, cards in the mail…what’s not to like?
Oh yeah , the medical stuff. I am so medicated at the moment NOT to have the scary side-effects that I am ok. But THOSE pills have side-effects — restlessnes. NO sleep when I am impossibly tired. But prayer and books are filling the time. I just dusted the house!?
And it’s time to be germ cautious as a little bug could do me in. So there will be no gardening, no crowds, no food prepared without absolute cleanliness of all ingredients — regrettably not even fast food or even healthy take-out — can’t be around kids who have just had vaccines, or any one exposed to anything even if they didn’t come down with it. No petting the dogs, yes double flush the toilet, no shoes in the house or at least on the carpet, no flossing, and the list goes on.
Gotta have a sense of humor, and oh yeah, no hair in 3 weeks! But I went into the Chemo with the best blood pressure in a month and lifted up,up,up in prayer. It was a Good Day!
Trip of a Lifetime
Saturday, September 10th, 2011Well it has always been a lot of fun to use this blog as a record of some pretty amazing travels! The latest is titled, “The Return to Cancer”. Not the best location, food sucks, the sights aren’t much to write home about, but it does have a few pluses.
I have met some very nice doctors and their staff. Everyone I know is lifting me up in prayer. Life is a little sweeter when it’s viewed from this perspective, and I can make light of a scary subject. Please laugh with me, it’s ok.
I flunked my blood test this week and couldn’t start chemo. I will retake it on Monday thru the blood line they inserted in my neck this week. Also on tap, a needle biopsy of a tiny lump in my neck that lit up on the PET scan. Another thing to worry about.Trying to eat organic and vegan and boring, and drink tons of water. Wine is allowed but not while I take a few pain pills. Sleep is wonderful, but once you wake a little, the thoughts are looming to take over, so I get up and read. It also gives me time to pray for others.
So we are hoping for Chemo to start (I call it my kickapoo joy juice…the moonshine from Lil Abner days …I am dating myself) so that radiation can happen so chemo can start again and we can get back to “normal” sometime in January. THEN I can write about some exciting destinations!!