Cycle 2A did not start on Monday due to a power outage at the doctor's office. By accident however, I never received a phone call about not going to the office. I did get a chance to see one of the doctor's on Monday about some abdominal issues I've had that I was potentially worried about. Dr. H (not my normal doc) gave me the OK/Good about what was going on. What I've been feeling is the tumors breaking down! Granted we don't have a CT scan to prove this right now, but I'm happy with the OK/Good explanation.
Again the doctor's office today still had no power so I needed to make a decision about how to proceed. I was given the option of going to the hospital in Philly to get treatment or I could wait to start the treatment. I ended up becoming very emotional about this since I didn't know the right answer. Even after discussing this in detail with the nurses and eventually my doc, it turns out that waiting a week is typical for other sarcoma patients and will not hurt me. I really wanted more time to recover after the 5 day treatment, but I didn't want to make a decision that affected my path to health. Ultimately, I decided to delay treatment until Friday. Not only do I get extra time to recover from the 5 day cycle, but I add recovery time after the 2A cycle by doing it on Friday and not on Monday. I truly believe that some how God had created this for me. I pray for help, but am not necessarily specific in my requests. I really hope that the extra recovery time makes for a positive experience and may help the path to health!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday Doctor's Appointment
I'm getting behind the ball here with posting - I ended up resting a lot this week. I'm not sure if it's necessary or laziness at this point. It takes quite a while after the 5 day treatment to feel decent. The good news is that I had another Thursday doctor's appointment and my values look good again! I was able to get off the antibiotic due to good values and I'm set for the next chemo treatment on Monday. The doc wasn't as amazed as the first time, but remember after the 5 day treatment I only had 6 days to get values back to normal. After the first treatment, which is only 1 day, I have 10 days for my values to build up again. Those extra days at home make a big difference from an energetic stand-point - I'm not happy about having to go through treatment so fast after the intense 5 day treatment, but I need health and success!
Technically Monday starts cycle 2. Cycle 1 is to prevent spreading and growth. Cycle 2 is to make the tumors smaller. Fingers crossed for a much better waist line and improved cheekbone size! I don't really have vanity issues, but if the reduction in size means health I'm totally wanting it!
Technically Monday starts cycle 2. Cycle 1 is to prevent spreading and growth. Cycle 2 is to make the tumors smaller. Fingers crossed for a much better waist line and improved cheekbone size! I don't really have vanity issues, but if the reduction in size means health I'm totally wanting it!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Anger at Levaquin
This is an anger infused posting. I am prescribed Levaquin for day 7 to 14 after a chemo-treatment when the white blood cell count is low - it is supposed to help me fight any type of bacterial infection. I had issues with it after the first chemo-treatment when it caused a lot of pain under my right rib. Luckily since the white blood cell count was high I was able to stop the treatment. I did have to take the drug again on Sunday and ended up with even more pain than the first go around - I had to take Percocet to help with the pain. There is no way I should be taking an antibiotic that produces such side effects that Percocet is necessary. I was awake every hour last night and ended up taking the Perc at 3AM. I was so stinking frustrated and angry with that drug last night that I called the docs office and completely refused to take Levaquin anymore. I now have another fluoroquinolone, Cipro, to take, but instead of only 1x a day I have to take the Cipro 2x. The complication with this is that it is a metal chelator (metal binder) so I have to take it 2 hours before my MgO or 6 hours after twice a day. URGH! Hopefully, I won't have the same side effects! I'm hoping for a great white blood cell count again on Thursday so I can get off the antibiotic!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Last Week Update
Sorry for the lack of posting this week - the 5 days of chemotherapy was tiring. As I was starting to write a blog post on Wednesday I was commenting on few side-effects like fatigue, but a quick rush to the bathroom was necessary to deal with some vomiting. Needless to say the blog never got posted!
I had a few vomiting issues with this round of treatment, but for a handful of different reasons. One of the medications gives me extraordinary pain in the tumor sites and I took Percocet during the treatment (OK'd by the nurses) and it ended up with more vomiting, but no nausea. This weekend around the same time every night regardless of whether my stomach had food or not resulted in a quick vomit and feeling much better afterward. In Jennie fashion, these are not typical side-effect issues. Today I have a much better energy level yet I'm always concerned about changing symptoms. I am experiencing pain in tumor areas quite often, but it is a reminder that the treatments are fixing them!
When the side-effects are most apparent I do feel more negative about things - why am I going through this? why this cancer? my poor boys and family! how long do I have to deal with this? Frankly it sucks and I hate it, but I do need to fight hard!
I've started to lose my hair and apparently it is a little late. It is typically 2 weeks and people are completely bald. This is the start of week 4 for me and I do still have hair, but some balding spots. I did however go crazy with the hair loss so I'm now shaved like hottie Natalie Portman from back in the day!
I have lots of thanks to give from this week. I received help in transportation to and from the doctor's office for treatments, support from the neighbors that will help with the co-payments, lawn mowing, being honored in the Livestrong Race by the Allens, wonderful babysitting, and being fed by numerous colleagues and neighbors! Many thanks to you all - I end up shedding tears of happiness when you guys help me and my family so much!
I had a few vomiting issues with this round of treatment, but for a handful of different reasons. One of the medications gives me extraordinary pain in the tumor sites and I took Percocet during the treatment (OK'd by the nurses) and it ended up with more vomiting, but no nausea. This weekend around the same time every night regardless of whether my stomach had food or not resulted in a quick vomit and feeling much better afterward. In Jennie fashion, these are not typical side-effect issues. Today I have a much better energy level yet I'm always concerned about changing symptoms. I am experiencing pain in tumor areas quite often, but it is a reminder that the treatments are fixing them!
When the side-effects are most apparent I do feel more negative about things - why am I going through this? why this cancer? my poor boys and family! how long do I have to deal with this? Frankly it sucks and I hate it, but I do need to fight hard!
I've started to lose my hair and apparently it is a little late. It is typically 2 weeks and people are completely bald. This is the start of week 4 for me and I do still have hair, but some balding spots. I did however go crazy with the hair loss so I'm now shaved like hottie Natalie Portman from back in the day!
I have lots of thanks to give from this week. I received help in transportation to and from the doctor's office for treatments, support from the neighbors that will help with the co-payments, lawn mowing, being honored in the Livestrong Race by the Allens, wonderful babysitting, and being fed by numerous colleagues and neighbors! Many thanks to you all - I end up shedding tears of happiness when you guys help me and my family so much!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Tomorrow is Cycle B
Monday, August 15 is the start of cycle B. I'm scarred and concerned about how my body will react since we are starting with 2 different drugs from cycle A. I have 5 days straight of treatments for roughly 6 hours each day. I am trying to convert my thinking to the positive - my body needs this treatment and so far things are working out well! It is still unnerving about the unknown, but hopefully after tomorrow I will feel more confident.
I can't verbalize how wonderful people have been to me and my family and if you know me well enough I talk like crazy! It has truly been heart warming and happy tear forming with how people have supported us. Many thanks to all of you. It has been very helpful and has contributed to a positive attitude.
Wish me luck tomorrow - I will try and update this week when I'm up to it!
I can't verbalize how wonderful people have been to me and my family and if you know me well enough I talk like crazy! It has truly been heart warming and happy tear forming with how people have supported us. Many thanks to all of you. It has been very helpful and has contributed to a positive attitude.
Wish me luck tomorrow - I will try and update this week when I'm up to it!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Doctor's Appointment Today
I'm going to keep this short - something unusual for me, but I haven't slept well in 3 nights and I need to rest.
AMAZING doctor's appointment! This appointment was to check my blood work and see the value of my white blood cells. Dr. S said WOW countless times as well as saying how amazed he was about my values. Turns out that I don't even have to take the antibiotic anymore to prevent me from getting sick (usually used on Day 7 to Day 14). I only took the antibiotic until day 10 and perhaps didn't even need to. So frankly, think about it this way chemotherapy is supposed to kill all the bad and good cells. My good cells built themselves up in amazing time. At least in a time that a seasoned doctor in sarcoma was WOWED!
AMAZING doctor's appointment! This appointment was to check my blood work and see the value of my white blood cells. Dr. S said WOW countless times as well as saying how amazed he was about my values. Turns out that I don't even have to take the antibiotic anymore to prevent me from getting sick (usually used on Day 7 to Day 14). I only took the antibiotic until day 10 and perhaps didn't even need to. So frankly, think about it this way chemotherapy is supposed to kill all the bad and good cells. My good cells built themselves up in amazing time. At least in a time that a seasoned doctor in sarcoma was WOWED!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Question for Medical Professionals out there
My diagnosis took a long time and a lot of my symptoms seemed unrelated - back pain, cheekbone pain, distended stomach. I wonder however, do doctors not consider cancer to be as probable in young people as compared to older adults? For instance if you had a 30 year old with certain symptoms, like mine, and a 60 year old with the same symptoms, would the approach toward diagnosis be different? I wonder if this is the case and perhaps something that needs to be addressed. Perhaps because sarcoma is typically difficult to diagnose it falls into a different category, but what about more common cancers? Does it take longer to diagnose younger cancer patients?
Experience from 1st Chemotherapy Treatment
Frankly, I was scarred of starting chemo, but really felt that the treatments needed to start immediately. It was a few days prior that I really felt my body was not doing well. It is one thing to experience pain, but another when you feel things are getting worse.
What you see on TV with regards to cancer and the treatment is not accurate at all - or at least what I've seen. Most of the treatment time is spent getting drugs to help you with side effects. I ended up getting a steroid, anti-nausea meds, and another med to protect from what I think was bladder problems. All of those drugs were given before the 3 different chemo drugs and then a few followed up after.
I am very aware of my body in general and I certainly felt the drugs working in those key areas. For instance, I ended up dealing with my left eye twitching during the chemo drugs since the tumor in the cheekbone causes issues with the nearby nerves. By the way, the nurse said that some patients really do experience and feel the medications working in the tumor sites.
I felt a little nauseous after the treatment, but nothing too bad. I took one of the pills prescribed that was for sleep, nausea, and anxiety before bed just to be on the safe side. I still felt the medications working even in my stomach. Honestly it was the first night of continuous sleep that I had in a really long time!
I felt better than I had in quite a while the days after treatment. I didn't really have any side-effects and I'm not really sure if I had the major side-effect of fatigue. I ended up sleeping a lot! However, after having a 4 month old baby and writhing in pain almost every night for a few months, I might have been just catching up! I still have pain in the tumor areas, but it feels different than before. I am convinced that the pain is due to the tumors decreasing in size and going away. I do believe that the sizes of them have already decreased - even if this is not entirely accurate it is a good thought process in positivity.
I did have a few bad days in terms of my emotions - I've been told that I'm entitled to have those moments, but I just need to get back to a positive fight. It also doesn't help that both my boys have colds and it's extremely dangerous for me to be near illnesses as my white blood count is decreasing. I've spend most of the days in my bedroom away from the colds and I hate not spending time with my guys! I do see them a little at night, but hugs, kisses, and close contact is out. I'm currently on an antibiotic to prevent any bacterial infections. This is normal procedure not because the boys are sick.
I see the doctor on Thursday and we will check the blood to see if we can start with cycle B of treatment on the 15th. That cycle scares me - I'll share my thoughts on that in a different post!
What you see on TV with regards to cancer and the treatment is not accurate at all - or at least what I've seen. Most of the treatment time is spent getting drugs to help you with side effects. I ended up getting a steroid, anti-nausea meds, and another med to protect from what I think was bladder problems. All of those drugs were given before the 3 different chemo drugs and then a few followed up after.
I am very aware of my body in general and I certainly felt the drugs working in those key areas. For instance, I ended up dealing with my left eye twitching during the chemo drugs since the tumor in the cheekbone causes issues with the nearby nerves. By the way, the nurse said that some patients really do experience and feel the medications working in the tumor sites.
I felt a little nauseous after the treatment, but nothing too bad. I took one of the pills prescribed that was for sleep, nausea, and anxiety before bed just to be on the safe side. I still felt the medications working even in my stomach. Honestly it was the first night of continuous sleep that I had in a really long time!
I felt better than I had in quite a while the days after treatment. I didn't really have any side-effects and I'm not really sure if I had the major side-effect of fatigue. I ended up sleeping a lot! However, after having a 4 month old baby and writhing in pain almost every night for a few months, I might have been just catching up! I still have pain in the tumor areas, but it feels different than before. I am convinced that the pain is due to the tumors decreasing in size and going away. I do believe that the sizes of them have already decreased - even if this is not entirely accurate it is a good thought process in positivity.
I did have a few bad days in terms of my emotions - I've been told that I'm entitled to have those moments, but I just need to get back to a positive fight. It also doesn't help that both my boys have colds and it's extremely dangerous for me to be near illnesses as my white blood count is decreasing. I've spend most of the days in my bedroom away from the colds and I hate not spending time with my guys! I do see them a little at night, but hugs, kisses, and close contact is out. I'm currently on an antibiotic to prevent any bacterial infections. This is normal procedure not because the boys are sick.
I see the doctor on Thursday and we will check the blood to see if we can start with cycle B of treatment on the 15th. That cycle scares me - I'll share my thoughts on that in a different post!
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